Forward and inverted adapter

Abstract

To provide an adapter for both erecting and inverted posture use that can improve sealability and assemblability.SOLUTION: An adapter 10 for both erecting and inverted posture use comprises: an outer cylinder member 20 having an erecting-time introduction port 20A and an inverted-time introduction port 20B; an inner cylinder member 30 which is so assembled to an inner side of the outer cylindrical member 20 as to be capable of being inserted thereinto, nd has a lower end opening 30A, an upper end opening 30B, and a relay port 30C; a first selector valve 11 which blocks communication between the inverted-time introduction port 20B and the relay port 30C when a discharger 1 is erected; a second selector valve 12 which blocks communication between the erecting-time introduction port 20A and the relay port 30C when the discharger 1 is inverted; and a flow channel formation member 40 to which an upper end part of the inner cylindrical member 30 is fitted, which is so assembled to the inner side of the outer cylindrical member 20 as to be capable of being inserted thereinto together with the inner cylindrical member 30, and in which a common flow channel 40A for communicating a content introduction port 5a and the relay port 30C with each other is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a forward and inverted adapter. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been known a flow path switching adapter and a forward / inverted liquid jet pump described in Patent Document 1. This flow path switching adapter is attached to a liquid inlet of a liquid jet pump that hangs down through the mouth and neck of a container body, and includes an upright position flow path that communicates with the liquid inlet and leads to an upright position suction port, and an inverted position flow path that communicates with the liquid inlet and leads to the inverted position suction port, with the inverted position suction port being formed at a higher position than the upright position suction port in the upright position, and a first flow path switching valve that opens in the upright position and closes in the inverted position is provided in the upright position flow path, and a second flow path switching valve that opens in the inverted position and closes in the upright position is provided in the inverted position flow path. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-214087 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional normal / inverted adapter described above, the normal flow path and the inverted flow path merge downstream of the flow path switching valve and are connected to the cylinder of the dispenser. Conventionally, in order to separate the merged main flow path and the inverted flow path, it was necessary to form a full-circumferential seal between the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical member (reference numeral 55 in Patent Document 1) and the outer circumferential surface of the flow path forming member (reference numeral 54 in Patent Document 1). However, unless the radial dimensional accuracy was improved, a high level of sealing could not be maintained.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a forward / inverted adapter that can improve sealing performance and assembly ease. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The forward and inverted adapter according to the present invention is a forward and inverted adapter that is attached to a dispenser that dispenses the contents in a container body and is capable of communicating with a content inlet of the dispenser, and includes an outer tube member having an upright inlet that can introduce the contents in the container body into the content inlet when the dispenser is upright, and an inverted inlet that can introduce the contents in the container body into the content inlet when the dispenser is inverted, and an outer tube member that is assembled so as to be insertable from above inside the outer tube member, and that communicates with the upright inlet and the inverted inlet. the upper end of the inner tube member is fitted with the inner tube member, and the inner tube member is assembled together with the inner tube member so as to be insertable from above into the inside of the outer tube member, and the flow path forming member has a common flow path formed therein that connects the content inlet and the relay port.

[0007] According to the inverted and normal adapter of the present invention, by forming a common flow path in the flow path-forming member that connects the content inlet of the dispenser and the relay port of the inner tube member, it is easy to separate the main flow path and the inverted flow path without having to increase the radial dimensional accuracy of the outer tube member and the flow path-forming member to maintain a difficult seal. Furthermore, because the inner tube member and the flow path-forming member are inserted into the outer tube member from above and assembled, the assembly directions of the inner tube member and the flow path-forming member relative to the outer tube member are not reversed, and the assembly positions of the two components are stable. Furthermore, because it is not necessary to insert the inner tube member into the outer tube member from below, there is no need to lengthen the inner tube member vertically. This shortens the space (main flow path) from the relay port of the inner tube member to the content inlet of the dispenser, reducing the number of priming operations required to fill the space with content.

[0008] (2) The outer cylindrical member may have an inner surface formed thereon that faces upward and against which the inner cylindrical member abuts from above.

[0009] In this case, the inner cylindrical member can be easily assembled inside the outer cylindrical member simply by abutting the lower end opening edge of the inner cylindrical member from above against the abutment surface formed on the inside of the outer cylindrical member.

[0010] (3) A sealing portion may be provided below the relay port, where the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube member and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube member are in close contact with each other, and the abutment surface may be formed as a step protruding radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube member, which is located below the sealing portion.

[0011] In this case, since an abutment surface is formed on the step, it is possible to prevent the lower end opening edge of the inner cylindrical member from climbing over the step (abutment surface) during assembly. Also, since the lower end opening edge of the inner cylindrical member abuts on the abutment surface below the seal portion between the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical member and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical member, an additional seal portion is formed, so it is not necessary to increase the radial dimensional accuracy of the inner cylindrical member and the outer cylindrical member at the upper seal portion and maintain a difficult sealed state.

[0012] (4) An inverted valve seat against which the second switching valve abuts from below may be provided inside the inner cylindrical member, below the relay port, and the inverted valve seat may be formed with an anti-sticking portion that prevents the second switching valve from sticking.

[0013] In this case, it is possible to prevent the second switching valve from sticking to the valve seat when in the inverted position, and thus to prevent the second switching valve from being unable to block communication between the inlet and the relay port when the discharger is in the upright position.

[0014] (5) The second switching valve may have a stroke of movement in the up and down direction that is equal to or less than the stroke of movement of the first switching valve in the up and down direction.

[0015] In this case, the vertical movement stroke of the second switching valve is shorter than in the past, so the vertical dimension of the forward and inverted adapter can be reduced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The forward and inverted adapter according to the present invention can improve sealing performance and assembly efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a dispenser to which a forward and inverted adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a forward and inverted adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, a forward and inverted adapter according to one embodiment of the present invention and a dispenser to which the forward and inverted adapter is attached will be described with reference to the drawings. The dispenser 1 shown in Fig. 1 is attached to the opening of a cylindrical container body A with a bottom that contains the contents. The contents of the container body A may be liquids such as medicines, cosmetics, fragrances, disinfectants, cleaning agents, food, etc. The dispenser 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top and closes the opening of the container body A.

[0019] Here, the container body A and the dispenser 1 are formed coaxially with the center of the mouth as the common axis. Hereinafter, this common axis will be referred to as the container axis O, and the direction along the container axis O will be referred to as the up-down direction. Within the up-down direction, the direction from the bottom of the container body A toward the mouth will be referred to as the up direction, and the opposite direction will be referred to as the down direction. Furthermore, in a plan view seen from the up-down direction, the direction intersecting the container axis O will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction going around the container axis O will be referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0020] The dispenser 1 comprises a mounting cap 2, a pump 3 and a press-down head 4. The attachment cap 2 attaches the pump 3 to the opening of the container body A. The pump 3 sucks up the contents inside the container body A. The push-down head 4 has a communication port 4a that communicates with the upper end of the pump 3 and a discharge port 4b through which the pump 3 discharges the contents that it has sucked up.

[0021] The pump 3 includes a cylinder portion 5, a plunger portion 6, a piston portion 7, a biasing portion 8, and a check valve portion 9. The cylinder part 5 is disposed inside the attachment cap 2, and is internally connected to the container body A. A content inlet 5a and a valve seat part 5b are formed at the lower end of the cylinder part 5.

[0022] The inner circumferential surface of the valve seat 5b is tapered, decreasing in diameter toward the content inlet 5a located below. The check valve 9 is disposed above the valve seat 5b. The check valve 9 is, for example, a ball valve, and is in upward, separable contact with the inner circumferential surface of the valve seat 5b. The check valve 9 forms a seal by the intimate contact between the inner circumferential surface of the valve seat 5b and the outer surface of the check valve 9.

[0023] The check valve unit 9 switches between communication and blocking between the inside of the cylinder unit 5 and the inside of the container body A depending on the pressure inside the cylinder unit 5. Specifically, the check valve unit 9 blocks communication between the inside of the cylinder unit 5 and the inside of the container body A when the inside of the cylinder unit 5 is pressurized, and allows communication between the inside of the cylinder unit 5 and the inside of the container body A when the inside of the cylinder unit 5 is depressurized.

[0024] Plunger portion 6 is disposed within cylinder portion 5 and is supported so as to be movable downward while being biased upward by biasing portion 8. The upper end portion of plunger portion 6 is inserted into communication port 4a from below and closes communication port 4a.

[0025] The piston portion 7 is connected to the outer peripheral surface located below the upper end of the plunger portion 6, and is in vertically slidable contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder portion 5. A communication flow path 6a is formed at the connecting portion between the piston portion 7 and the plunger portion 6, penetrating in the vertical direction.

[0026] When the pressing head 4 is pressed down, the pressure in the cylinder section 5 above the piston section 7 increases through the communicating flow path 6a to become higher than the pressure in the cylinder section 5 below the piston section 7, causing the plunger section 6 to move downward against the force of the biasing section 8, opening the communicating port 4a and discharging the contents from the discharge port 4b.

[0027] The configuration of the dispenser 1 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 1, but may include at least a cylinder portion 5 to which a forward and inverted adapter 10 (described later) can be attached directly or via a separate member. The dispenser 1 may also be configured to include a trigger lever as described in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0028] The forward and inverted adapter 10 is attached to the lower end of the cylinder section 5. As shown in Fig. 2, the forward and inverted adapter 10 includes a first switching valve 11, a second switching valve 12, an outer cylinder member 20, an inner cylinder member 30, and a flow path forming member 40. Here, the outer cylinder member 20, the inner cylinder member 30, and the flow path forming member 40 are formed coaxially with the container axis O as a common axis.

[0029] The outer cylinder member 20 has an inlet for upright position 20A that can introduce the contents in the container body A into the cylinder portion 5 when the dispenser 1 is upright, and an inlet for inverted position 20B that can introduce the contents in the container body A into the cylinder portion 5 when the dispenser 1 is inverted. The inlet for upright position 20B is formed at a higher position than the inlet for upright position 20A when the dispenser 1 is upright. The inlet for inverted position 20B is located inside the mouth of the container body A (between the upper and lower ends of the mouth). However, the inlet for inverted position 20B may be located lower than the mouth 2a of the container body A.

[0030] The outer cylindrical member 20 is formed in a multi-stage cylindrical shape whose diameter gradually decreases as it extends downward. The outer cylindrical member 20 comprises, from top to bottom, a first outer cylindrical portion 21, a second outer cylindrical portion 22, a third outer cylindrical portion 23, and a fourth outer cylindrical portion 24. The first outer cylindrical portion 21 surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder portion 5 with a radial gap therebetween. The upper end opening of the first outer cylindrical portion 21 forms an inverted introduction port 20B.

[0031] Ribs 21a that form a flow path (flow path for use when inverted) that communicates with the inverted introduction port 20B are formed on the inside of the first outer cylindrical portion 21. The ribs 21a are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the inner circumferential surface of the first outer cylindrical portion 21 and extend in the axial direction. The radially inner ends of the ribs 21a abut against the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder portion 5.

[0032] The second outer cylindrical portion 22 is connected to the lower end of the first outer cylindrical portion 21. The second outer cylindrical portion 22 has a smaller diameter than the first outer cylindrical portion 21. A first step portion 25 is formed inside the outer cylindrical member 20 at the connecting portion between the first outer cylindrical portion 21 and the second outer cylindrical portion 22. The first step portion 25 has an annular first abutment surface 20a facing upward.

[0033] The third outer cylindrical portion 23 is connected to the lower end of the second outer cylindrical portion 22. The third outer cylindrical portion 23 has a smaller diameter than the second outer cylindrical portion 22. A second step portion 26 is formed inside the outer cylindrical member 20 at the connecting portion between the second outer cylindrical portion 22 and the third outer cylindrical portion 23. The second step portion 26 has an annular second abutment surface 20b facing upward.

[0034] The fourth outer cylinder portion 24 is connected to the lower end of the third outer cylinder portion 23. The fourth outer cylinder portion 24 has a smaller diameter than the third outer cylinder portion 23. An upright-state lower valve seat 23a is formed inside the outer cylinder member 20 at the connecting portion between the third outer cylinder portion 23 and the fourth outer cylinder portion 24. The inner circumferential surface of the upright-state lower valve seat 23a is formed in a tapered shape that decreases in diameter toward the upright-state inlet 20A located below.

[0035] The second switching valve 12 is disposed above the lower valve seat 23a when in the upright position. The second switching valve 12 is, for example, a ball valve, and is in upward, separable contact with the inner circumferential surface of the lower valve seat 23a when in the upright position. Note that when the second switching valve 12 is in the upright position, a seal surface is formed by the intimate contact between the inner circumferential surface of the lower valve seat 23a and the outer surface of the second switching valve 12; however, when a check valve unit 9 is provided as in this embodiment, the seal surface does not necessarily have to be formed.

[0036] An upright position introduction port 20A is formed at the lower end of the third outer cylinder portion 23. The upper end of the suction cylinder 13 is fitted inside the fourth outer cylinder portion 24, which is connected to the lower end of the third outer cylinder portion 23. The lower end of the suction cylinder 13 extends to the bottom of the container body A. In other words, the upright position introduction port 20A communicates with the inside of the container body A via the suction cylinder 13.

[0037] The inner cylinder member 30 has a lower end opening 30A that communicates with the inlet 20A in the upright position, an upper end opening 30B that communicates with the inlet 20B in the inverted position, and a relay opening 30C that penetrates radially between the lower end opening 30A and the upper end opening 30B. The inner cylinder member 30 is assembled inside the outer cylinder member 20 so as to be insertable from above.

[0038] The inner cylindrical member 30 is formed in a gourd shape with the vertical middle portion narrowed radially inward. The inner cylindrical member 30 comprises, from top to bottom, a first inner cylindrical portion 31, a second inner cylindrical portion 32, and a third inner cylindrical portion 33. The first inner cylindrical portion 31 forms an upper end opening 30B. The first inner cylindrical portion 31 has an outer diameter that allows it to be inserted inside the second outer cylindrical portion 22 of the outer cylindrical member 20. An annular gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the first inner cylindrical portion 31 and the inner peripheral surface of the second outer cylindrical portion 22.

[0039] The second inner cylinder portion 32 is connected to the lower end of the first inner cylinder portion 31. The second inner cylinder portion 32 has a smaller diameter than the first inner cylinder portion 31. A plurality of relay ports 30C that penetrate in the radial direction are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction in the second inner cylinder portion 32. An upright upper valve seat 32a is formed inside the inner cylinder member 30 at a connecting portion (tapered portion) between the first inner cylinder portion 31 and the second inner cylinder portion 32. The upright upper valve seat 32a has an inner circumferential surface that is tapered so that its diameter decreases downward.

[0040] The first switching valve 11 is disposed above the upper valve seat 32a when in the upright position. The first switching valve 11 is, for example, a ball valve, and is in upward contact with the inner circumferential surface of the upper valve seat 32a so as to be freely releasable when in the upright position. When the first switching valve 11 is in the upright position, the inner circumferential surface of the upper valve seat 32a and the outer surface of the first switching valve 11 closely fit to form a seal surface.

[0041] The third inner cylinder portion 33 is connected to the lower end of the second inner cylinder portion 32. The third inner cylinder portion 33 has a larger diameter than the second inner cylinder portion 32. The third inner cylinder portion 33 forms a lower end opening 30A. An inverted valve seat 32b is formed inside the inner cylinder member 30 at a connecting portion (tapered portion) between the second inner cylinder portion 32 and the third inner cylinder portion 33. The inverted valve seat 32b has an inner circumferential surface formed in a tapered shape that increases in diameter as it extends downward.

[0042] The second switching valve 12 is disposed below the inverted valve seat 32b. The second switching valve 12 is disposed so as to be able to abut against the inner circumferential surface of the inverted valve seat 32b from below. When the discharger 1 is inverted, the inner circumferential surface of the inverted valve seat 32b and the outer surface of the second switching valve 12 closely contact each other to form a sealing surface.

[0043] The inverted valve seat 32b is formed with a sticking prevention portion 32c that prevents sticking of the second switching valve 12. The sticking prevention portion 32c can be, for example, grooves or ribs formed radially on the inner circumferential surface of the inverted valve seat 32b, but any irregularities that can prevent sticking of the second switching valve 12 will suffice.

[0044] The lower end opening edge of the inner tube member 30 (the lower end of the third inner tube portion 33) abuts from above against a second abutment surface 20b formed on the second step portion 26 of the outer tube member 20. Above the second abutment surface 20b, a lower seal portion 50 is formed in which the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube member 30 (third inner tube portion 33) and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube member 20 (second outer tube portion 22) are in tight contact with each other.

[0045] The flow path forming member 40 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that can be attached to the lower end of the cylinder portion 5. The flow path forming member 40 has a common flow path 40A that connects the content inlet 5a formed at the lower end of the cylinder portion 5 with the relay port 30C. The upper end of the inner cylindrical member 30 is fitted into the bottom wall of the flow path forming member 40, and the flow path forming member 40 is assembled together with the inner cylindrical member 30 so that it can be inserted into the inside of the outer cylindrical member 20 from above.

[0046] The flow path forming member 40 includes a mounting tubular portion 41, a plug portion 42, and a sealing tubular portion 43. The mounting tubular portion 41 is a peripheral wall portion of the flow path forming member 40, and is fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion of the cylinder portion 5. The mounting tubular portion 41 has an outer diameter that allows it to be inserted into the inside of the first outer tubular portion 21 of the outer tubular member 20. An annular gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the mounting tubular portion 41 and the inner peripheral surface of the first outer tubular portion 21. Note that the rib 21a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first outer tubular portion 21 does not abut against the mounting tubular portion 41, but it is acceptable for it to abut against it.

[0047] The stopper portion 42 is formed on the bottom wall of the flow path forming member 40, protrudes downward from the center of the bottom wall, and is fitted into the upper end opening 30B of the inner cylindrical member 30. The stopper portion 42 is formed with a horizontal hole 40B that extends radially and opens onto the outer peripheral surface of the mounting cylindrical portion 41, and a vertical hole 40C that extends axially and connects the horizontal hole 40B to the inside of the first inner cylindrical portion 31. A support rib 44 that supports the first switching valve 11 when the dispenser is inverted is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the vertical hole 40C, protruding radially inward.

[0048] The cylindrical seal portion 43 protrudes downward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion of the flow path forming member 40. An annular gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical seal portion 43 and the outer peripheral surface of the first inner cylindrical portion 31. The upper end opening edge of the inner cylindrical member 30 does not abut against the lower surface of the bottom wall portion of the flow path forming member 40, and a common flow path 40A that penetrates the bottom wall portion and communicates between the inside of the cylindrical seal portion 43 and the inside of the mounting cylindrical portion 41 is formed in the gap portion that communicates with the annular gap.

[0049] The lower end of the flow path forming member 40 (the lower end of the cylindrical seal portion 43) abuts from above against a first abutment surface 20a formed on the first step portion 25 of the outer cylindrical member 20. Above the first abutment surface 20a, an upper seal portion 51 is formed in which the outer peripheral surface of the flow path forming member 40 (cylindrical seal portion 43) and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical member 20 (first outer cylindrical portion 21) are in close contact with each other. In other words, the cylindrical seal portion 43 is fitted inside the first outer cylindrical portion 21.

[0050] The vertical movement stroke S2 ​​of the second selector valve 12 is equal to or shorter than the vertical movement stroke S1 of the first selector valve 11. The vertical movement stroke S2 ​​of the second selector valve 12 refers to the vertical movement distance from when the second selector valve 12 abuts against the lower valve seat 23 a in the upright position to when it abuts against the valve seat 32 b in the inverted position. Furthermore, the vertical movement stroke S1 of the first selector valve 11 refers to the vertical movement distance from when the first selector valve 11 abuts against the upper valve seat 32 a in the upright position to when it abuts against the lower end of the support rib 44.

[0051] Next, the operation of the inverted and normal adapter 10 of this embodiment will be described. In the following description, the operation of the forward / inverted adapter 10 when the dispenser 1 is in the upright position and when it is in the inverted position will be described.

[0052] (When the dispenser is upright) When the dispenser 1 is in the upright position, the contents are discharged from the dispenser 1 and the push-down head 4 rises, reducing the pressure inside the cylinder 5. When the pressure inside the cylinder 5 is reduced, the check valve 9 moves upward away from the valve seat 5b, opening the content inlet 5a and reducing the pressure in the main flow path from the content inlet 5a to the relay port 30C. The main flow path of the forward / inverted adapter 10 includes the inside of the mounting tube 41, the common flow path 40A, the inside of the sealing tube 43, the gap between the second outer tube 22 and the first inner tube 31, the gap between the second outer tube 22 and the second inner tube 32, the relay port 30C, and the inside of the second inner tube 32.

[0053] When the main flow path is decompressed, with the dispenser 1 in the upright position, the first switching valve 11 is in close contact with the upright upper valve seat 32a, blocking communication between the inverted inlet 20B and the relay port 30C, thereby decompressing the third inner cylinder 33. When the pressure inside the third inner cylinder 33 is reduced, the second switching valve 12 moves upward away from the upright lower valve seat 23a, opening the upright inlet 20A. This forms an upright flow path that connects the content inlet 5a to the upright inlet 20A, the suction tube 13, and the inside of the container body A, and the content inside the container body A is sucked up into the cylinder 5.

[0054] The flow path for use in the upright position of the forward / inverted adapter 10 includes the main flow path described above, the inside of the third inner cylinder 33, the inside of the third outer cylinder 23, the upright position inlet 20A, and the suction tube 13. When the dispenser 1 is in the upright position, the first switching valve 11 blocks communication between the inverted position inlet 20B and the relay port 30C, thereby preventing air from being sucked in from the top of the container body A.

[0055] (When the dispenser is upside down) When the dispenser 1 is inverted, the contents are discharged from the dispenser 1, and the push-down head 4 rises, reducing the pressure inside the cylinder 5. When the dispenser 1 is inverted, the check valve 9 moves away from the valve seat 5b due to the reduced pressure inside the cylinder 5 and its own weight, opening the content inlet 5a. This places the main flow path from the content inlet 5a to the relay port 30C in a reduced pressure state.

[0056] When the main flow path is decompressed, with the dispenser 1 in the inverted position, the second switching valve 12 is in close contact with the inverted position valve seat 32b, blocking communication between the upright position inlet 20A and the relay port 30C, reducing the pressure inside the first inner cylinder 31. When the pressure inside the first inner cylinder 31 is reduced, an inverted position flow path is formed that communicates from the content inlet 5a through the inverted position inlet 20B into the container body A, and the content inside the container body A is sucked up into the cylinder 5.

[0057] The inverted flow path of the forward and inverted adapter 10 includes the above-mentioned main flow path, the inside of the first inner cylinder 31, the vertical hole 40C formed in the stopper 42, the horizontal hole 40B, the gap between the mounting cylinder 41 and the first outer cylinder 21, the gap between the cylinder 5 and the first outer cylinder 21, and the inverted inlet 20B. When the dispenser 1 is inverted, the second switching valve 12 blocks communication between the upright inlet 20A and the relay port 30C, thereby preventing air from being sucked in from the lower end of the suction tube 13, which is exposed to the air at the bottom of the container body A.

[0058] 2, in this embodiment of the normal and inverted adapter 10, a common flow path 40A is formed in the flow path forming member 40, which connects the content inlet 5a of the cylinder portion 5 and the relay port 30C of the inner cylindrical member 30. With this configuration, it becomes easy to make the main flow path and the inverted flow path separate flow paths, without having to increase the dimensional accuracy in the radial direction between the outer cylindrical member 20 and the flow path forming member 40 to maintain a difficult sealed state (sealed state of the upper seal portion 51).

[0059] Furthermore, in conventional inverted and forward adapters, the inner cylindrical member (reference numeral 53 in Patent Document 1) is inserted from below into the outer cylindrical member (reference numeral 55 in Patent Document 1) to assemble them. However, inserting the inner cylindrical member into the outer cylindrical member from below requires the inner cylindrical member to be elongated in the vertical direction due to assembly issues and mold problems. This results in problems such as a larger vertical space for the main flow path, which increases the number of priming operations required to fill the main flow path with the contents. Furthermore, because the direction in which the inner cylindrical member is inserted into the outer cylindrical member and the direction in which the flow path-forming member is inserted into the outer cylindrical member are vertically opposite, when one member is assembled first and the other member is assembled later, the vertical assembly position of the first assembled member may be misaligned, resulting in unstable assembly positions.

[0060] On the other hand, in the inverted and forward adapter 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the inner cylindrical member 30 and the flow path forming member 40 are inserted into the outer cylindrical member 20 from above and assembled. This prevents the inner cylindrical member 30 and the flow path forming member 40 from being assembled upside down relative to the outer cylindrical member 20, stabilizing the assembled positions of the two members. Furthermore, since it is no longer necessary to insert the inner cylindrical member 30 into the outer cylindrical member 20 from below, as in the conventional case, there is no need to elongate the inner cylindrical member 30 in the vertical direction. This shortens the space (main flow path) from the relay port 30C of the inner cylindrical member 30 to the content inlet port 5a of the cylinder section 5, reducing the number of priming operations required to fill this space with the content.

[0061] As described above, the forward and inverted adapter 10 of this embodiment is a forward and inverted adapter 10 that is attached to a dispenser 1 that dispenses the contents in a container body A and can communicate with the contents inlet 5a of the dispenser 1, and includes an outer tube member 20 having an upright inlet 20A that can introduce the contents in the container body A into the contents inlet 5a when the dispenser 1 is upright, and an inverted inlet 20B that can introduce the contents in the container body A into the contents inlet 5a when the dispenser 1 is inverted, and a lower end opening 30A that is assembled inside the outer tube member 20 so as to be insertable from above and communicates with the upright inlet 20A and the inverted inlet 20B. The device is provided with an inner tube member (30) having an upper end opening (30B) and a relay port (30C) that penetrates radially between the lower end opening (30A) and the upper end opening (30B), a first switching valve (11) that blocks communication between the inlet (20B) and the relay port (30C) when the dispenser (1) is in the upright position, a second switching valve (12) that blocks communication between the inlet (20A) and the relay port (30C) when the dispenser (1) is in the upright position, and a flow path forming member (40) into which the upper end of the inner tube member (30) is fitted and which is assembled together with the inner tube member (30) so as to be insertable from above inside the outer tube member (20), and in which a common flow path (40A) that connects the content inlet (5a) and the relay port (30C) is formed. The forward and inverted adapter 10 having this configuration can improve sealing performance and assembly efficiency.

[0062] In this embodiment, a second abutment surface 20b (abutment surface) that faces upward and against which the lower end opening edge of the inner cylindrical member 30 abuts from above is formed on the inside of the outer cylindrical member 20. According to this configuration, the inner cylindrical member 30 can be easily assembled inside the outer cylindrical member 20 simply by abutting the lower end opening edge of the inner cylindrical member 30 from above against the second abutment surface 20b formed on the inside of the outer cylindrical member 20.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a lower seal portion 50 (seal portion) is provided below the relay port 30C, where the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical member 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical member 20 are in tight contact with each other, and the second abutment surface 20b is formed on a second step portion 26 (step portion) that protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical member 20 located below the lower seal portion 50. According to this configuration, the second abutment surface 20b is formed on the second step portion 26, so that the lower end opening edge of the inner cylindrical member 30 can be prevented from climbing over the second step portion 26 (second abutment surface 20b) during assembly. Furthermore, below the lower seal portion 50 between the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube member 30 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube member 20, the lower end opening edge of the inner tube member 30 abuts against the second abutment surface 20b, forming a further seal portion, so it is no longer necessary to increase the radial dimensional accuracy of the inner tube member 30 and the outer tube member 20 at the lower seal portion 50 in order to maintain a difficult sealing state.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an inverted valve seat 32b, against which the second switching valve 12 abuts from below, is provided inside the inner cylindrical member 30 below the relay port 30C, and an anti-sticking portion 32c is formed on the inverted valve seat 32b to prevent the second switching valve 12 from sticking. This configuration can prevent the second switching valve 12 from sticking to the inverted valve seat 32b, which would cause the second switching valve 12 to be unable to block communication between the upright introduction port 20A and the relay port 30C when the discharger 1 is in the upright position.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vertical movement stroke S2 ​​of the second switching valve 12 is equal to or shorter than the vertical movement stroke S1 of the first switching valve 11. With this configuration, the vertical movement stroke S2 ​​of the second switching valve 12 is shorter than in the past, and therefore the vertical dimension of the forward / inverted adapter 10 can be reduced.

[0066] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications include, for example, those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are equivalent.

[0067] For example, although the normal and inverted adapter 10 of this embodiment is directly attached to the cylinder portion 5 of the dispenser 1, it may be attached to the cylinder portion 5 via a separate member. Furthermore, for example, in this embodiment, the lower end opening edge of the inner tube member 30 is abutted against the second abutment surface 20b on the inside of the outer tube member 20, but it is also possible to provide a step portion on the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube member 30 and abut that step portion against the second abutment surface 20b.

[0068] In addition, within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components as appropriate, and the above-described embodiments and the above-described variations may be combined as appropriate.

[0069] The aspects of the present invention are as follows, for example. <1> A forward and inverted adapter that is attached to a dispenser that dispenses the contents in a container body and can communicate with a contents inlet of the dispenser, an outer cylinder member having an upright inlet that can introduce the contents in the container body into the contents inlet when the dispenser is upright, and an inverted inlet that can introduce the contents in the container body into the contents inlet when the dispenser is inverted; an inner cylindrical member that is assembled to the inside of the outer cylindrical member so as to be insertable from above, and that has a lower end opening that communicates with the inlet in the upright position, an upper end opening that communicates with the inlet in the inverted position, and a relay opening that penetrates radially between the lower end opening and the upper end opening; a first switching valve that blocks communication between the inverted introduction port and the relay port when the discharger is in an upright position; a second switching valve that blocks communication between the upright introduction port and the relay port when the discharger is inverted; a flow path forming member into which an upper end portion of the inner cylindrical member is fitted and which is assembled together with the inner cylindrical member so as to be insertable from above into the inside of the outer cylindrical member, and which has a common flow path formed therein that connects the content inlet and the relay port, Dual-use forward and inverted adapter. <2> An abutment surface facing upward is formed on the inside of the outer cylindrical member, against which the inner cylindrical member abuts from above. The aforementioned <1> The forward and inverted adapter described in <3> a seal portion in which an outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical member and an inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical member are in close contact with each other below the relay port; The abutment surface is formed on a stepped portion that protrudes radially inward from an inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular member that is located below the seal portion. The aforementioned <2> The forward and inverted adapter described in <4> an inverted valve seat against which the second switching valve abuts from below is provided inside the inner cylindrical member below the relay port; The inverted valve seat is formed with a sticking prevention portion that prevents sticking of the second switching valve. The aforementioned <1> ~ <3> 10. The forward and inverted adapter according to claim 9, <5> The vertical movement stroke of the second switching valve is equal to or less than the vertical movement stroke of the first switching valve. The aforementioned <1> ~ <4> 10. The forward and inverted adapter according to claim 9, [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1...discharger, 2...attachment cap, 3...pump, 4...press-down head, 4a...communication port, 4b...discharge port, 5...cylinder portion, 5a...content inlet, 5b...valve seat portion, 6...plunger portion, 6a...communication flow path, 7...piston portion, 8...biasing portion, 9...check valve portion, 10...forward and inverted adapter, 11...first switching valve, 12...second switching valve, 13...suction tube, 20...outer tube member, 20a...first contact surface, 20A...inlet in upright position, 20b...second contact surface (contact surface), 20B...inlet in inverted position, 21...first outer tube portion, 21a...rib, 22...second outer tube portion, 23...third outer tube portion, 23a...upright position Lower valve seat, 24...fourth outer cylinder portion, 25...first step portion, 26...second step portion (step portion), 30...inner cylinder member, 30A...lower end opening, 30B...upper end opening, 30C...relay port, 31...first inner cylinder portion, 32...second inner cylinder portion, 32a...upper valve seat when upright, 32b...valve seat when inverted, 32c...prevention portion, 33...third inner cylinder portion, 40...flow path forming member, 40A...common flow path, 40B...horizontal hole, 40C...vertical hole, 41...mounting cylinder portion, 42...plug portion, 43...sealing cylinder portion, 44...support rib, 50...lower seal portion, 51...upper seal portion, A...container body, O...container axis, S1...travel stroke, S2...travel stroke

Claims

1. A forward and inverted adapter that is attached to a dispenser that dispenses the contents in a container body and can communicate with a contents inlet of the dispenser, an outer cylinder member having an upright inlet that can introduce the contents in the container body into the contents inlet when the dispenser is upright, and an inverted inlet that can introduce the contents in the container body into the contents inlet when the dispenser is inverted; an inner cylindrical member that is assembled to the inside of the outer cylindrical member so as to be insertable from above, and that has a lower end opening that communicates with the inlet in the upright position, an upper end opening that communicates with the inlet in the inverted position, and a relay opening that penetrates radially between the lower end opening and the upper end opening; a first switching valve that blocks communication between the inverted introduction port and the relay port when the discharger is in an upright position; a second switching valve that blocks communication between the upright introduction port and the relay port when the discharger is inverted; a flow path forming member into which an upper end portion of the inner cylindrical member is fitted and which is assembled together with the inner cylindrical member so as to be insertable from above into the inside of the outer cylindrical member, and which has a common flow path formed therein that connects the content inlet and the relay port, Dual-use forward and inverted adapter.

2. An abutment surface facing upward is formed on the inside of the outer cylindrical member, against which the inner cylindrical member abuts from above. The forward and inverted adapter according to claim 1.

3. a seal portion in which an outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical member and an inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical member are in close contact with each other below the relay port; The abutment surface is formed on a stepped portion that protrudes radially inward from an inner circumferential surface of the outer tubular member that is located below the seal portion.

3. The inverted and forward adapter according to claim 2.

4. an inverted valve seat against which the second switching valve abuts from below is provided inside the inner cylindrical member below the relay port; The inverted valve seat is formed with a sticking prevention portion that prevents sticking of the second switching valve. The adapter for use with both forward and inverted positions according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The vertical movement stroke of the second switching valve is equal to or less than the vertical movement stroke of the first switching valve.

5. The forward and inverted adapter according to claim 4.

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