Ejector

Abstract

To ensure a flow path that connects the inside of a stem to a housing space in a cylinder even if a piston is swollen.SOLUTION: When a stem 11, a piston 13, and a piston guide 14 are moved downward against a cylinder 15, a content liquid in a housing space A is discharged through the stem 11 and out of a discharge hole. The piston includes a cylindrical blocking part 52b that is externally mounted to the piston guide for relative vertical movement and a cylindrical sliding part 51b that is fitted into the cylinder for vertical sliding. The piston guide includes a contact surface 23 that blocks the connection between the inside of the stem and the housing space when the blocking part contacts the same and an opposing surface 22 that faces the inner circumference of the sliding part in the radial direction. A first rib 26 protruding radially outward is formed on the opposing surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, for example, a stem disposed so as to be movable downward in an upwardly biased state, a discharge head attached to the upper end of the stem and having a discharge hole for the content liquid formed therein, a cylindrical piston linked to the vertical movement of the stem, a piston guide protruding downward from the stem and penetrating the inside of the piston in the vertical direction, and a cylinder in which the piston is accommodated so as to be slidable vertically and a portion located below the piston guide is a storage space for the content liquid. When the stem, the piston, and the piston guide are moved downward with respect to the cylinder, the content liquid in the storage space is discharged from the discharge hole through the inside of the stem. The piston is provided with a cylindrical closing portion externally mounted so as to be vertically movable relative to the piston guide, and a cylindrical sliding contact portion fitted slidably vertically in the cylinder. The piston guide is provided with a contact surface that blocks the communication between the inside of the stem and the storage space by the contact of the closing portion, and a facing surface facing the inner peripheral surface of the sliding contact portion in the radial direction. A dispenser having such a structure is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] ​​​As a result of diligent research, the inventors of this application have found that, in particular, the portion of the flow path located between the inner circumferential surface of the sliding contact portion and the opposing surface of the piston guide is prone to blockage.

[0005] One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a discharger that can ensure a flow path connecting the inside of the stem and the housing space of the cylinder, even when the piston swells. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A discharger according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a stem disposed to be movable downward in an upward biased state, a discharge head mounted on the upper end of the stem and having a discharge hole for the liquid content, a cylindrical piston linked to the up and down movement of the stem, a piston guide protruding downward from the stem and passing through the inside of the piston in the vertical direction, and a cylinder in which the piston is housed so as to be able to slide up and down, with the portion located below the piston guide serving as a liquid content storage space, wherein the stem, the piston, and the piston guide are When moved downward relative to the cylinder, the liquid contents of the containment space are discharged through the stem and out of the discharge hole. The piston is provided with a cylindrical closure portion externally mounted on the piston guide so as to be vertically movable relative to it, and a cylindrical sliding contact portion fitted into the cylinder so as to be vertically slidable. The piston guide is provided with a contact surface that, when the closure portion abuts against it, blocks communication between the inside of the stem and the containment space, and an opposing surface radially opposite to the inner circumferential surface of the sliding contact portion. The opposing surface has a projection radially outward. , the inner circumferential surface of the sliding contact portion and the radially opposite The first rib is formed.

[0007] In the piston guide, a first rib is formed on the opposing surface that is radially opposite to the inner circumferential surface of the piston's sliding contact portion. This allows for a gap to be maintained between the inner circumferential surface of the sliding contact portion and the opposing surface even when the piston swells and expands radially, thereby preventing difficulty in discharging the liquid contents when the piston swells.

[0008] The piston is provided with an inner cylinder portion whose upper end is fitted into the stem so as to be vertically slidable, and a second rib may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion in a portion located below the upper end, projecting radially outward.

[0009] Since a second rib is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder of the piston, protruding radially outward in the portion located below the upper end, even if the piston swells and expands radially, the increase in sliding resistance between the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder and the inner circumferential surface of the stem is suppressed, and it is possible to prevent the stem and piston guide from becoming difficult to move downward relative to the piston when the discharge head is pressed down. As a result, even if the piston swells, when the discharge head is pressed down, the contact surface of the piston guide is moved downward away from the closed portion of the piston, ensuring reliable communication between the inside of the stem and the housing space of the cylinder.

[0010] The piston may be made of a silicone rubber that is softer than the material forming the stem, the cylinder, and the piston guide.

[0011] Since the piston is made of silicone rubber that is softer than the material forming the stem, cylinder, and piston guide, sealing performance and sliding resistance can be ensured between the piston and the stem, cylinder, and piston guide, respectively. Because silicone rubber is a material that generally swells easily, the aforementioned effect of ensuring a flow path that connects the inside of the stem and the cylinder's housing space is significantly effective even when the piston swells. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this invention, even if the piston swells, a flow path can be maintained that connects the inside of the stem and the housing space of the cylinder. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1]This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a discharger shown as one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a magnified view of a portion of the discharger shown. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows the state when the discharge head is pressed down. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] A discharger according to one embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the discharger 1 according to this embodiment comprises a stem 11, a discharge head 12, a piston 13, a piston guide 14, and a cylinder 15. The stem 11, piston 13, piston guide 14, and cylinder 15 are arranged so that their respective central axes lie on a common axis.

[0015] Hereafter, this common axis will be referred to as the central axis O, and the direction along the central axis O will be called the vertical direction. Furthermore, when viewed from the vertical direction, the direction intersecting the central axis O will be called the radial direction, and the direction revolving around the central axis O will be called the circumferential direction.

[0016] The dispenser 1 is attached to the container body W containing the liquid via a mounting cap 16. The mounting cap 16 is formed in a top-shaped cylindrical form with an annular top wall. An outer cylinder 16a extending upward is formed at the opening periphery of the upper surface of the top wall. A female thread is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the mounting cap 16, which screws into a male thread formed on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth of the container body W. The mounting cap 16 is arranged coaxially with the central axis O.

[0017] The stem 11 is provided to be movable downward while biased upward. The lower part of the stem 11 is inserted into the cylinder 15, and the upper part protrudes upward from the cylinder 15. The inner and outer diameters of the lower part of the stem 11 are larger than the inner and outer diameters of the upper part of the stem 11. The ejection head 12 includes a capped cylindrical mounting cylinder portion 12a mounted on the upper end of the stem 11, and a nozzle cylinder portion 12b protruding radially outward from the mounting cylinder portion 12a. The stem 11 is fitted inside the mounting cylinder portion 12a. The tip opening of the nozzle cylinder portion 12b serves as an ejection hole 12c through which the content liquid is ejected.

[0018] The piston 13 is housed in the cylinder 15 so as to be vertically slidable. The piston 13 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is linked to the vertical movement of the stem 11. The piston 13 is made of silicone rubber that is softer than the materials forming the stem 11, the cylinder 15, and the piston guide 14.

[0019] The piston 13 includes an outer cylinder piston 51, an inner cylinder piston 52, and an annular connecting portion 53. The outer cylinder piston 51, the inner cylinder piston 52, and the annular connecting portion 53 are each arranged coaxially with the central axis O. In the illustrated example, the outer cylinder piston 51, the inner cylinder piston 52, and the annular connecting portion 53 are integrally formed. The outer cylinder piston 51 is fitted in the cylinder 15 so as to be vertically slidable. The inner cylinder piston 52 is disposed inside the outer cylinder piston 51 in the radial direction and surrounds the piston guide 14 from the outside in the radial direction. The annular connecting portion 53 connects the outer cylinder piston 51 and the inner cylinder piston 52 in the radial direction.

[0020] The outer cylinder piston 51 includes an upper cylinder portion 51a and a sliding contact portion 51b. The upper cylinder portion 51a protrudes upward from the annular connecting portion 53. The upper cylinder portion 51a extends radially outward as it goes from below to above. The sliding contact portion 51b is formed in a cylindrical shape and protrudes downward from the annular connecting portion 53. The sliding contact portion 51b extends radially outward as it goes from above to below. The upper end of the upper cylinder portion 51a and the lower end of the sliding contact portion 51b are closely fitted in the cylinder 15 so as to be vertically slidable.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the inner cylinder piston 52 includes an inner cylinder portion 52a and a closing portion 52b. The inner cylinder portion 52a protrudes upward from the annular connecting portion 53. The upper part of the inner cylinder portion 52a, located inside the stem 11, extends radially outward as it moves from bottom to top. The upper end of the inner cylinder portion 52a is tightly fitted into the stem 11 so as to be vertically slidable. The inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 52a is radially separated outward from the outer circumferential surface of the piston guide 14. The closure portion 52b is formed in a cylindrical shape and protrudes downward from the annular connecting portion 53. The closure portion 52b is externally mounted on the piston guide 14 so as to be able to move up and down relative to it. The outer circumferential surface of the closure portion 52b extends radially outward from bottom to top. The lower end of the closure portion 52b is located above the lower end of the sliding contact portion 51b.

[0022] The annular connecting portion 53 is formed in an annular shape and is arranged coaxially with the central axis O. The annular connecting portion 53 connects the upper and lower intermediate portions of the outer cylinder piston 51 and the inner cylinder piston 52. The upper surface of the annular connecting portion 53 is set back below the lower end opening edge of the stem 11. The lower end opening edge of the stem 11 comes into contact with the upper surface of the annular connecting portion 53 when the stem 11 moves downward.

[0023] The piston guide 14 is cylindrical in shape, protruding downward from the stem 11 and passing vertically through the inside of the piston 13. The upper end of the piston guide 14 is fitted into the upper part of the stem 11. The lower end portion of the piston guide 14 (hereinafter referred to as the protruding portion 14a) is formed to have a larger diameter than the portion located above the protruding portion 14a and is formed in a top-cylindrical shape with an annular top wall. In the piston guide 14, a communication hole 14b is formed in the portion located above the protruding portion 14a and below the upper part of the stem 11, passing through the piston guide 14 radially. Multiple communication holes 14b are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0024] A recess 21 is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the top wall of the protruding portion 14a, opening upward and radially outward. The recess 21 extends continuously along its entire circumferential length. The sliding contact portion 51b of the piston 13 is inserted into the recess 21. Of the inner surfaces defining the recess 21, the radially outward-facing surface is the opposing surface 22 that radially faces the inner circumferential surface of the sliding contact portion 51b of the piston 13. The opposing surface 22 extends radially outward from top to bottom. The opposing surface 22 is radially inward from the sliding contact portion 51b. The sliding contact portion 51b is upward-facing from the upward-facing surface of the inner surfaces defining the recess 21.

[0025] A sealing projection 28 is formed on the opening periphery of the recess 21 on the upper surface of the top wall of the protruding portion 14a, projecting upward. The sealing projection 28 extends continuously along its entire length in the circumferential direction. The inner circumferential surface of the sealing projection 28 is formed in a curved shape that protrudes radially inward. The inner circumferential surface of the sealing projection 28 is a contact surface 23 that blocks communication between the inside of the stem 11 and the housing space A of the cylinder 15, which will be described later, when the outer circumferential surface of the closing portion 52b of the piston 13 comes into contact with it. In the illustrated example, the outer circumferential surface of the sealing projection 28 is continuous with the opposing surface 22 in the vertical direction without any step. Alternatively, the outer circumferential surface of the sealing projection 28 may be separated radially inward from the opposing surface 22.

[0026] An annular sliding projection 24 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the top wall of the protruding portion 14a, projecting radially inward. The sliding projection 24 extends upward from the radially outer side towards the inner side. The outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall of the protruding portion 14a is in contact with or close to the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 15. A connecting longitudinal groove 25 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the peripheral wall of the protruding portion 14a along its entire length in the vertical direction. The upper end of the coil spring 17 is inserted into the peripheral wall of the protruding portion 14a, and the upper end opening edge of the coil spring 17 is supported on the lower surface of the top wall of the protruding portion 14a.

[0027] The portion of the cylinder 15 located below the piston guide 14 serves as a storage space A where the liquid contents of the container body W are temporarily contained. As shown in Figure 1, a flange portion 15a is formed at the upper end of the cylinder 15, projecting radially outward. The flange portion 15a is fixed by an undercut fitting within the upper end of the mounting cap 16. A connecting cylinder 15b extending downward is provided at the lower end of the cylinder 15. A suction pipe P is fitted inside the connecting cylinder 15b. The lower end of the suction pipe P is located within the bottom of the container body W. A stepped portion 15e is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the lower part of the cylinder 15, facing upward and supporting the lower end opening edge of the coil spring 17. Multiple vertical grooves 15c are formed in the stepped portion 15e at circumferential intervals. The vertical grooves 15c open upward and radially inward. The upper end openings of the vertical grooves 15c are covered by the lower end opening edge of the coil spring 17.

[0028] A seal cylinder 15d is tightly fitted inside the upper end of the cylinder 15. The stem 11 is inserted into the seal cylinder 15d so as to be able to move up and down. The upper end of the upper cylindrical portion 51a of the piston 13 is in tight contact with the lower end opening edge of the seal cylinder 15d.

[0029] A lower valve body 18 is disposed inside the cylinder 15. The lower valve body 18 is formed in a rod shape extending vertically and is disposed coaxially with the central axis O. The upper part of the lower valve body 18 is fitted into the sliding projection 24 of the piston guide 14 so as to be able to slide up and down. Multiple wing portions 18a are formed on the lower part of the lower valve body 18, projecting radially outward and with their front and back surfaces facing circumferentially, spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The wing portions 18a are inserted into the vertical groove 15c of the cylinder 15. The lower end of the lower valve body 18 is set upward away from the periphery of the lower end opening on the inner surface of the cylinder 15. When the piston guide 14 moves downward, the sliding projection 24 moves the lower valve body 18 downward, causing the lower end of the lower valve body 18 to contact the periphery of the lower end opening on the inner surface of the cylinder 15, thereby blocking communication between the containment space A and the container body W.

[0030] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, a first rib 26 is formed on the opposing surface 22 of the piston guide 14, projecting radially outward. The first rib 26 is formed along the entire length of the opposing surface 22 in the vertical direction. The first rib 26 is radially inward from the sliding contact portion 51b of the piston 13. The first rib 26 is located radially inward from the bottom surface of the communicating longitudinal groove 25 of the piston guide 14. The circumferential size of the first rib 26 is smaller than its vertical size. Multiple first ribs 26 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. In the illustrated example, the first rib 26 extends from the opposing surface 22 to the outer circumferential surface of the aforementioned sealing projection 28. Alternatively, the first rib 26 may be provided only on the opposing surface 22, rather than being formed on the outer circumferential surface of the sealing projection 28.

[0031] On the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 52a of the piston 13, a second rib 27 is formed in the portion located below the upper end, projecting radially outward. The second rib 27 is formed along the entire length of the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 52a, excluding the upper end. The circumferential size of the second rib 27 is smaller than its vertical size. Multiple second ribs 27 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. The radial projection amounts of the second rib 27 and the first rib 26 are equal to each other.

[0032] Next, we will explain how to use the discharger 1 configured as described above.

[0033] When the discharge head 12 is pressed down, as shown in Figure 3, the stem 11 and piston guide 14 move downward while compressing the coil spring 17 in the vertical direction, and the contact surface 23 of the piston guide 14 moves downward away from the closed portion 52b of the piston 13, and the housing space A of the cylinder 15 and the inside of the stem 11 communicate through the communication vertical groove 25 and the communication hole 14b. At this time, the sliding projection 24 of the piston guide 14 moves the lower valve body 18 downward, causing the lower end of the lower valve body 18 to abut against the peripheral edge of the lower end opening on the inner surface of the cylinder 15, thereby blocking communication between the containment space A and the container body W. Also, since the lower end opening edge of the stem 11 abuts against the upper surface of the annular connecting portion 53 of the piston 13, if the discharge head 12 is continued to be pressed, the piston 13 also moves downward together with the stem 11 and the piston guide 14. As a result, the internal pressure of the containment space A increases, and the liquid contents of the containment space A are supplied into the stem 11 through the communicating longitudinal groove 25, the gap between the piston guide 14 and the piston 13, and the communicating hole 14b, and discharged from the discharge hole 12c.

[0034] Subsequently, when the discharge head 12 is released, the coil spring 17 returns to its original shape, causing the stem 11 and piston guide 14 to move upward. The contact surface 23 of the piston guide 14 comes into contact with the closed portion 52b of the piston 13, the lower end opening edge of the stem 11 moves upward away from the annular connecting portion 53 of the piston 13, and the sliding projection 24 of the piston guide 14 moves the lower valve body 18 upward. As a result, communication between the housing space A of the cylinder 15 and the inside of the stem 11 is blocked, the lower end of the lower valve body 18 moves upward away from the peripheral edge of the lower end opening on the inner surface of the cylinder 15, and communication between the housing space A and the inside of the container body W is established. In this state, as the coil spring 17 continues to deform to restore itself, the stem 11 and piston guide 14 continue to move upward. This causes the closed portion 52b of the piston 13 to be pushed against the contact surface 23 of the piston guide 14, and the piston 13 also moves upward to restore itself. As a result, the storage space A becomes negative pressure, and the liquid contents of the container body W are supplied to the storage space A from the lower end opening of the cylinder 15.

[0035] As described above, in the discharger 1 according to this embodiment, a first rib 26 is formed on the opposing surface 22 of the piston guide 14 that is radially opposite to the inner circumferential surface of the sliding contact portion 51b of the piston 13, so that even if the piston 13 swells and expands radially, it is possible to secure a gap between the inner circumferential surface of the sliding contact portion 51b and the opposing surface 22, thereby suppressing the difficulty in discharging the contents when the piston 13 swells.

[0036] Since a second rib 27 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 52a of the piston 13, located below the upper end, projecting radially outward, even if the piston 13 swells and expands radially, the increase in sliding resistance between the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 52a and the inner circumferential surface of the stem 11 is suppressed, and it is possible to suppress the difficulty in moving the stem 11 and piston guide 14 downward relative to the piston 13 when the discharge head 12 is pressed down. As a result, even if the piston 13 swells, when the discharge head 12 is pressed down, the contact surface 23 of the piston guide 14 is moved downward away from the closed portion 52b of the piston 13, ensuring that the inside of the stem 11 and the housing space A of the cylinder 15 are in reliable communication.

[0037] Since the piston 13 is made of silicone rubber that is softer than the material forming the stem 11, cylinder 15, and piston guide 14, it is possible to ensure sealing performance and suppress sliding resistance between the piston 13 and the stem 11, cylinder 15, and piston guide 14, respectively. Since silicone rubber is a material that generally swells easily, the aforementioned effect of ensuring a flow path that connects the inside of the stem 11 and the housing space A of the cylinder 15 is significantly effective even when the piston 13 swells.

[0038] Furthermore, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0039] For example, as shown in Patent Document 1 above, a configuration may be adopted in which a lever is used to press down the discharge head, and the liquid contents are discharged in a mist form from the discharge hole. The second rib 27 does not need to be provided on the inner cylinder portion 52a of the piston 13.

[0040] Furthermore, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, the components in the above embodiments may be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, and the above embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Dispenser 11 Stem 12 Discharge heads 12c Discharge hole 13 pistons 14 Piston Guide 15 cylinders 22 Self-governing surface 23 Contact surface 26. First Rib 27. Second Rib 51b Sliding contact part 52a Inner cylinder 52b Occlusion A containment space

Claims

1. A stem is provided that is movable downward while biased upward, A discharge head is attached to the upper end of the stem and has a discharge hole for the liquid contents, A cylindrical piston that is linked to the up-and-down movement of the aforementioned stem, A piston guide protrudes downward from the stem and penetrates the inside of the piston in the vertical direction, The system comprises a cylinder in which the piston is housed so as to be able to slide up and down, and the portion located below the piston guide is used as a storage space for the liquid inside, When the stem, piston, and piston guide are moved downward relative to the cylinder, the liquid contents of the containment space are discharged through the stem and out of the discharge hole. The piston has, A cylindrical closing portion is externally mounted on the piston guide so as to be able to move up and down relative to it, The cylinder is provided with a cylindrical sliding contact portion that is fitted to slide vertically within the cylinder, The piston guide has, The contact surface, which the aforementioned closing portion contacts, blocks communication between the inside of the stem and the housing space, The sliding contact portion is provided with an inner circumferential surface and an opposing surface facing it in the radial direction. A discharger having a first rib formed on the opposing surface, which protrudes radially outward and faces radially opposite the inner circumferential surface of the sliding contact portion.

2. The piston is provided with an inner cylinder portion whose upper end is fitted into the stem so as to be able to slide up and down, The discharger according to claim 1, wherein a second rib is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion, in a portion located below the upper end, projecting radially outward.

3. The discharger according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the piston is made of a silicone rubber that is softer than the material forming the stem, the cylinder, and the piston guide.

Images