Ejector

Abstract

To provide a discharger capable of switching the discharge amount of a content and stably discharging a desired discharge amount.SOLUTION: A discharger comprises: an attachment cylinder 1 attached to a mouth part of a container body for storing a content; a push-down head having a discharge hole for discharging the content and disposed so as to be movable in the vertical direction and rotatable in the circumferential direction with respect to the attachment cylinder 1; and a pump for discharging the content from the discharge hole by downward movement of the push-down head. The attachment cylinder 1 has a plurality of contact parts 15 which are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction and have different positions in the vertical direction, and overleap parts 16 which are arranged adjacent to the contact parts 15 in the circumferential direction. The push-down head has a regulation part capable of overleaping the overleap part 16 in the circumferential direction by rotating the push-down head in the circumferential direction. The regulation part is arranged so as to overlap with a predetermined contact part 15 among the plurality of contact parts 15 when viewed from above, and comes in contact with the predetermined contact part 15 when the push-down head is pushed down.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a dispenser attached to the mouth of a container body for containing contents has been known (for example, Patent Document 1). This type of dispenser includes a mounting cylinder attached to the mouth of the container body, a discharge hole for discharging the contents, a pressing head movable in the vertical direction with respect to the mounting cylinder, and a pump for discharging the contents from the discharge hole by downward movement of the pressing head.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In this type of dispenser, there has been a desire to switch the discharge amount of the contents and discharge it in a large amount or a small amount, etc. However, in the conventional dispenser, since the user adjusts the discharge amount of the contents by adjusting the pressing amount of the pressing head, it is difficult to stably discharge a fixed amount (desired amount) of the contents.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser that can switch the discharge amount of the contents and can stably discharge a desired discharge amount.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One embodiment of the discharger of the present invention comprises a mounting cylinder attached to the mouth of a container body containing contents, a pressing head having a discharge hole for discharging contents and being provided so as to be movable vertically and rotatable circumferentially with respect to the mounting cylinder, and a pump that discharges contents from the discharge hole by the downward movement of the pressing head, wherein the mounting cylinder has a plurality of contact portions arranged in a line in the circumferential direction and having different positions in the vertical direction, and a crossover portion arranged adjacent to the contact portions in the circumferential direction. , a support wall extending in the circumferential direction and The pressing head has a restricting portion that can overcome the overcoming portion in the circumferential direction by rotating the pressing head in the circumferential direction, and the restricting portion is positioned to overlap with a predetermined contact portion among a plurality of contact portions when viewed from above, and when the pressing head is pressed, it comes into contact with the predetermined contact portion. The overhang portion comprises a strip-shaped body that protrudes radially from the wall surface of the support wall and extends circumferentially, and a weight-reducing portion disposed between the wall surface of the support wall and the strip-shaped body, wherein the strip-shaped body is elastically deformable in the radial direction. .

[0007] In this dispenser, when the user rotates the push head in the circumferential direction, the restricting portion of the push head moves circumferentially over the overlapping portion of the mounting cylinder. As a result, the restricting portion is positioned facing from above a predetermined contact portion that is adjacent to the overlapping portion in the circumferential direction, among a plurality of contact portions that have different vertical positions (heights) from each other.

[0008] In this state, when the user pushes down the push head, the contents are discharged from the discharge hole by the action of the pump. Then, when the restricting part and the predetermined contact part come into contact, further downward movement of the push head is restricted, and the discharge of the contents is stopped.

[0009] According to the present invention, the amount the push-down of the push-down head is determined according to the vertical position of a predetermined contact point to which the restricting part of the push-down head abuts, and this also determines the amount of contents to be dispensed. Specifically, the user can select a desired amount of discharge by rotating the push-down head in the circumferential direction to select a predetermined contact point from among a plurality of contact points with different vertical heights and aligning it with the restricting part. In other words, the amount of contents to be dispensed can be switched between large and small amounts.

[0010] Then, by simply pressing down the push head until the regulating part and the predetermined contact part come into contact, a fixed amount (desired amount) of contents can be stably dispensed. In other words, a stably desired amount of discharge can be achieved.

[0011] Furthermore, in this invention, even if the user cannot visually confirm, for example, from outside the dispenser, the state in which the regulating part and the predetermined contact part are facing each other, a click sensation is obtained when the pressing head is rotated, as the regulating part moves over the overcoming part, so the state in which the regulating part and the predetermined contact part are facing each other can be easily recognized. Therefore, operability is improved.

[0012] In the discharger, the mounting cylinder has a support wall extending in the circumferential direction, the overhang portion has a strip-shaped body that protrudes radially from the wall surface of the support wall and extends in the circumferential direction, and a weight-reducing portion disposed between the wall surface of the support wall and the strip-shaped body, and the strip-shaped body is elastically deformable in the radial direction. ru.

[0013] In this case, when the user rotates the push head in the circumferential direction, the restricting part overcomes the overhang while elastically deforming the strip-shaped body of the overhang in the radial direction. Since a weight-reducing section is placed between the wall surface of the support wall and the strip-shaped body, the strip-shaped body is made more elastically deformable in such a way that it narrows the radial dimension of the weight-reducing section, that is, it approaches the wall surface of the support wall. Because the restricting part can stably overcome the overhang, the operability when rotating the push head is improved.

[0014] In the discharger, the strip-shaped body extends in a curved shape that is convex in the radial direction, the contact portion has a side surface that protrudes radially from the wall surface of the support wall and faces in the circumferential direction, and when viewed from above and below, the side surface extends along the curved shape of the strip-shaped body and is preferably close to or coincides with the strip-shaped body.

[0015] In this case, since the strip-shaped body has a curved shape that is convex in the radial direction, the restricting portion can more stably overcome the overhang portion. Furthermore, when forming the mounting cylinder by injection molding, the strip-shaped body (overhang portion) and the contact portion can be formed using the upper and lower molds without using a special structure for the mold, making manufacturing easy.

[0016] One embodiment of the discharger of the present invention comprises a mounting cylinder attached to the mouth of a container body containing contents, a pressing head having a discharge hole for discharging contents and provided to be movable vertically and rotatable circumferentially relative to the mounting cylinder, and a pump that discharges contents from the discharge hole by downward movement of the pressing head, wherein the mounting cylinder has a plurality of contact portions arranged in a line in the circumferential direction and having different positions in the vertical direction, and a crossover portion arranged adjacent to the contact portions in the circumferential direction, the pressing head has a restricting portion that can cross the crossover portion in the circumferential direction by rotating the pressing head in the circumferential direction, the restricting portion is arranged to overlap a predetermined contact portion among the plurality of contact portions when viewed from above, and contacts the predetermined contact portion when the pressing head is pressed. The pump comprises a cylindrical cylinder extending vertically, a valve body for switching communication between the inside of the cylinder and the inside of the container body, a piston disposed inside the cylinder and slidable vertically with respect to the cylinder as the push head is pushed down, a pressure accumulating cylinder connected to the piston and having a cylindrical shape extending vertically with its interior communicating with the inside of the cylinder, a pressure accumulating piston disposed inside the pressure accumulating cylinder and slidable vertically with respect to the pressure accumulating cylinder, a pressure accumulating valve body that contacts the pressure accumulating piston from below and switches communication between the inside of the pressure accumulating cylinder and the discharge hole, and a pressure accumulating biasing member that biases the pressure accumulating piston downward, wherein when the internal pressure of the pressure accumulating cylinder increases due to the push head being pushed down, the pressure accumulating piston moves upward away from the pressure accumulating valve body against the biasing force of the pressure accumulating biasing member, and the inside of the pressure accumulating cylinder and the discharge hole communicate. ru.

[0017] In this case, the pump is equipped with a so-called pressure accumulation mechanism. Specifically, when the user pushes down the push head, the piston moves downward inside the cylinder, causing the internal pressure of the cylinder to rise. Since the internals of the cylinder and the pressure accumulation cylinder are in communication with each other, the internal pressure of the pressure accumulation cylinder also rises as the internal pressure of the cylinder increases.

[0018] The pressure accumulation piston is seated on the pressure accumulation valve body by being downwardly biased by the pressure accumulation biasing member, whereby the communication between the pressure accumulation cylinder and the discharge hole is blocked. When the internal pressure of the pressure accumulation cylinder rises above a certain level due to the depression of the depression head, the pressure accumulation piston moves upward against the biasing force of the pressure accumulation biasing member and separates upward from the pressure accumulation valve body. As a result, the pressure accumulation cylinder and the discharge hole are communicated, and the contents stored in the pressure accumulation cylinder and the cylinder are discharged from the discharge hole in a pressurized state.

[0019] The pump configured as described above can reduce the diameter of the pressure accumulation biasing member by providing a pressure accumulation mechanism inside the piston, so that the force applied to the upward movement of the pressure accumulation piston can be reduced. Therefore, when the depression head is depressed, the pressure accumulation valve body is opened with a small force, so that the pressing force (depression force) is reduced.

[0020] Since the pressure accumulation piston moves upward at the initial stage of the depression of the depression head, the pressing force at the initial operation start becomes small. Furthermore, the depression operation can be continued as it is, so that the depression force is reduced as the user's feeling (physical sensation). That is, the user can discharge a large amount of contents with a light pressing force, and the operability is good. Specifically, by moving the pressure accumulation piston with a smaller sliding resistance before the piston with a larger sliding resistance, a feeling of reduction in the depression force can be obtained.

Effects of the Invention

[0021] According to the discharger of the above aspect of the present invention, the discharge amount of the contents can be switched, and a desired discharge amount can be stably discharged.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view (vertical cross-sectional view) showing the discharger of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view (transverse cross-sectional view) showing the II-II cross-section of FIG. 1, and the illustration of the pump is omitted. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the mounting cylinder broken away. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the mounting cylinder and the pressing head broken away.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0023] The ejector 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the ejector 10 of the present embodiment is attached to the mouth portion 101 of a container body 100 in which a content (not shown) is stored, and discharges the content to the outside of the container body 100. That is, the discharge container shown in FIG. 1 includes the container body 100 and the ejector 10 attached to the mouth portion 101 of the container body 100. In the present embodiment, the ejector 10 is detachably attached to the mouth portion 101 of the container body 100. The content of the container body 100 is, for example, a liquid such as cosmetics, drugs, fragrances, disinfectants, detergents, foods, etc.

[0024] The ejector 10 includes a mounting cylinder 1 attached to the mouth portion 101 of the container body 100, a pressing head 2, and a pump 3. The mounting cylinder 1 and the pressing head 2 are, for example, made of resin. The pump 3 includes, for example, a resin member and a metal member. The mouth portion 101 of the container body 100, the mounting cylinder 1, the pressing head 2, and the pump 3 are arranged coaxially with each other with a pump axis O, which is the central axis of the pump 3, as a common axis.

[0025] In the present embodiment, the direction in which the pump axis O extends, that is, the direction parallel to the pump axis O is referred to as the vertical direction. In FIG. 1, the pressing head 2 and the mounting cylinder 1 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. Among the vertical directions, the direction from the pressing head 2 toward the mounting cylinder 1 is referred to as downward (lower side), and the direction from the mounting cylinder 1 toward the pressing head 2 is referred to as upward (upper side). In a plan view seen from the vertical direction, the direction orthogonal to the pump axis O is referred to as the radial direction. Among the radial directions, the direction approaching the pump axis O is referred to as the inner side in the radial direction, and the direction away from the pump axis O is referred to as the outer side in the radial direction. The direction in which the flow of air rotates around the pump shaft O is called the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, when viewing the discharger 10 from above along the pump shaft O, the clockwise direction centered on the pump shaft O is called one side of the circumferential direction (+θ side), and the counterclockwise direction is called the other side of the circumferential direction (-θ side).

[0026] The container body 100 is a bottomed cylindrical shape, and in this embodiment, it is a bottomed cylinder. The container body 100 has a mouth portion 101, a body portion 102, a shoulder portion 103, and a bottom portion (not shown). The opening 101 is cylindrical with the pump shaft O as its center and extends in the vertical direction. The opening 101 is located at the upper end of the container body 100. The opening 101 has a male screw portion 101a located on its outer circumferential surface.

[0027] In this embodiment, the mounting cylinder 1 as a whole has a double-cylinder shape centered on the pump shaft O. The mounting cylinder 1 has a main cylinder portion 11, an outer cylinder portion 12, a connecting wall 13, a support wall 14, a contact portion 15, and a crossover portion 16. In this embodiment, the mounting cylinder 1 is integrally formed from a single component.

[0028] The main body cylindrical portion 11 is shaped like a top-end cylinder with the pump shaft O at its center. The main body cylindrical portion 11 has a cylindrical circumferential wall 11a and an annular plate-shaped top wall 11b. The main body peripheral wall 11a has a female threaded portion 11c located on its inner circumferential surface. The female threaded portion 11c is screwed into the male threaded portion 101a of the opening 101. In other words, the mounting cylinder 1 is detachably attached to the opening 101 by screwing it in.

[0029] The outer periphery of the main body top wall 11b is connected to the upper end of the main body peripheral wall 11a. The main body top wall 11b has an insertion hole 11d that penetrates the main body top wall 11b in the vertical direction. The insertion hole 11d is a circular hole centered on the pump shaft O.

[0030] The outer cylindrical portion 12 is positioned radially outward of the main cylindrical portion 11. The outer cylindrical portion 12 is cylindrical with the pump shaft O as its center and extends vertically. The outer cylindrical portion 12 surrounds the main cylindrical portion 11 from the radially outward direction to its entire circumference. The outer cylindrical portion 12 also surrounds the support wall 14, which will be described later, from the radially outward direction to its entire circumference. The lower end of the outer cylindrical portion 12 is positioned opposite the outer circumference of the shoulder portion 103 of the container body 100, with a gap between them, from above.

[0031] The connecting wall 13 is an annular plate shape centered on the pump shaft O and extends in a direction perpendicular to the pump shaft O. The connecting wall 13 is positioned radially between the main cylindrical portion 11 and the outer cylindrical portion 12, connecting these cylindrical portions 11 and 12 to each other. Specifically, the inner circumference of the connecting wall 13 is connected to the upper end of the outer circumferential surface of the main cylindrical portion 11. The outer circumferential portion of the connecting wall 13 is connected to the intermediate portion of the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 12, located between the upper and lower ends.

[0032] The connecting wall 13 has a mold release hole 13a that penetrates the connecting wall 13 in the vertical direction. The mold release hole 13a has a substantially semicircular shape when viewed from the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 3, multiple mold release holes 13a are provided arranged in the circumferential direction. The lower (or upper) mold of the mold is inserted into these mold release holes 13a during injection molding of the mounting cylinder 1 and is withdrawn during demolding.

[0033] The support wall 14 is a curved wall portion extending in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the support wall 14 is cylindrical with the pump shaft O as the center. The support wall 14 has a thick-walled portion 14a and a thin-walled portion 14b that has a smaller radial dimension (i.e., thickness dimension) than the thick-walled portion 14a. The outer circumferential surface of the thin-walled portion 14b is located radially inward from the outer circumferential surface of the thick-walled portion 14a. In this embodiment, one pair each of the thick-walled portion 14a and the thin-walled portion 14b is provided. The thick-walled portion 14a and the thin-walled portion 14b are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the support wall 14 protrudes upward from the outer circumference of the upper end of the main cylindrical portion 11. In this embodiment, the support wall 14 is positioned to overlap with the main peripheral wall 11a of the main cylindrical portion 11 when viewed from above. That is, the main peripheral wall 11a is positioned directly below the support wall 14. In this embodiment, the support wall 14 and the main peripheral wall 11a are integrally formed so as to be continuous in the vertical direction. For this reason, it can be said that a part of the support wall 14 (the lower portion) is composed of the main peripheral wall 11a.

[0035] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, multiple contact portions 15 are provided on the mounting cylinder 1. The multiple contact portions 15 are arranged in a circumferential direction. The contact portions 15 are positioned radially between the support wall 14 and the outer cylinder portion 12. In this embodiment, the contact portions 15 are provided so as to protrude radially outward from the outer circumferential surface (wall surface) of the support wall 14. Specifically, the contact portions 15 protrude radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the thin-walled portion 14b.

[0036] The multiple contact portions 15 include sets of four contact portions 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D arranged in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, sets of four contact portions 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D arranged in the circumferential direction are provided on each of the pair of thin-walled portions 14b (i.e., a total of two sets).

[0037] The four contact portions 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D have different amounts of upward protrusion from the connecting wall 13. In other words, the vertical positions (heights) of the upper surfaces of these contact portions 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D are different from each other. That is, the vertical positions of the multiple contact portions 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D are different from each other.

[0038] More specifically, the four contact points 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D are arranged in this order toward one side in the circumferential direction (+θ side), and the contact points 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D that are located on one side in the circumferential direction have a lower vertical position (height).

[0039] Specifically, of the four contact portions 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D, the first contact portion 15A, located at the end on the other side in the circumferential direction (-θ side), is located at the uppermost position, and the fourth contact portion 15D, located at the end on one side in the circumferential direction (+θ side), is located at the lowermost position. In this embodiment, the fourth contact portion 15D is formed by a part of the connecting wall 13. That is, the upper surface of the fourth contact portion 15D is formed by a part of the upper surface of the connecting wall 13.

[0040] Furthermore, of the four contact portions 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D, the second contact portion 15B, which is adjacent to the first contact portion 15A on one side in the circumferential direction, is located lower than the first contact portion 15A, and the third contact portion 15C, which is adjacent to the second contact portion 15B on one side in the circumferential direction, is located lower than the second contact portion 15B. Furthermore, die-cutting holes 13a are provided between each of the adjacent contact portions 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D in the circumferential direction.

[0041] Furthermore, the contact portion 15 has a side surface 15g that protrudes radially from the wall surface of the support wall 14 and faces circumferentially. In this embodiment, the side surface 15g protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface (wall surface) of the support wall 14 and faces circumferentially. Specifically, the side surface 15g extends so as it moves radially outward, it approaches other contact portions 15 adjacent to this contact portion 15 in the circumferential direction. More specifically, the side surface 15g facing one side in the circumferential direction (+θ side) extends toward that side in the circumferential direction as it moves radially outward. Also, the side surface 15g facing the other side in the circumferential direction (-θ side) extends toward the other side in the circumferential direction as it moves radially outward. The side surface 15g has a concave curved surface shape that is recessed radially outward. By providing such a side surface 15g, the circumferential dimension of the contact portion 15 increases as it moves radially outward.

[0042] Multiple overlapping sections 16 are provided on the mounting cylinder 1. The multiple overlapping sections 16 are arranged in a line in the circumferential direction. The overlapping sections 16 are positioned radially between the support wall 14 and the outer cylinder section 12. In this embodiment, the overlapping sections 16 are provided projecting radially outward from the outer circumferential surface (wall surface) of the support wall 14. Specifically, the overlapping sections 16 project radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the thin-walled section 14b.

[0043] The multiple overlapping sections 16 include sets of three overlapping sections 16 arranged in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, sets of three overlapping sections 16 arranged in the circumferential direction are provided on each of the pair of thin-walled sections 14b (i.e., a total of two sets).

[0044] Each overlapping portion 16, when viewed from above, overlaps with each die-cut hole 13a. In this embodiment, each overlapping portion 16 is positioned directly above each die-cut hole 13a. The overlapping portion 16 is positioned adjacent to the contact portion 15 in the circumferential direction.

[0045] The overhang portion 16 has a strip-shaped body 16a that protrudes radially from the wall surface of the support wall 14 and extends circumferentially, and a weight-reducing portion 16b that is positioned between the wall surface of the support wall 14 and the strip-shaped body 16a. In this embodiment, the strip-shaped body 16a protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface (wall surface) of the support wall 14 and extends in the circumferential direction. The strip-shaped body 16a extends in a curved shape that is convex radially. In this embodiment, the strip-shaped body 16a extends in an arc shape that is convex radially outward. Both circumferential ends of the strip-shaped body 16a are connected to the outer circumferential surface of the support wall 14. The strip-shaped body 16a is elastically deformable radially. That is, the overhang portion 16 is elastically deformable.

[0046] The weight-reducing portion 16b is a hole that penetrates the overlapping portion 16 in the vertical direction. The provision of the weight-reducing portion 16b ensures a large amount of elastic deformation of the strip-shaped body 16a. That is, the strip-shaped body 16a elastically deforms radially inward so as to narrow the radial dimension of the weight-reducing portion 16b.

[0047] As shown in Figure 2, when viewed from above, the contact portion 15 is positioned so as not to overlap with the overhang portion 16. When viewed from above, the side surface 15g of the contact portion 15 extends along the curved shape of the strip-shaped body 16a and is close to or coincides with the strip-shaped body 16a.

[0048] As shown in Figure 1, the pressing head 2 is positioned above the mounting cylinder 1. The pressing head 2 is provided so as to be movable vertically and rotatable circumferentially relative to the mounting cylinder 1. The pressing head 2 has an inner cylinder 21, an outer cylinder 22, a regulating portion 23, a nozzle portion 24, and a discharge hole 25 for discharging the contents.

[0049] The outer cylinder 22 is a top-shaped cylinder centered on the pump shaft O, and in this embodiment, it is a top-shaped cylinder. The outer cylinder 22 has a cylindrical circumferential wall 22a and a disc-shaped top wall 22b. The circumferential wall 22a is positioned radially between the support wall 14 and the outer casing 12. When the user pushes down the push head 2, the circumferential wall 22a moves downward between the support wall 14 and the outer casing 12.

[0050] The inner cylinder 21 is cylindrical with the pump shaft O as its center and extends in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the inner cylinder 21 is cylindrical in shape. The inner cylinder 21 is suspended from the top wall 22b of the outer cylinder 22.

[0051] The nozzle portion 24 is substantially cylindrical and extends radially. In this embodiment, the nozzle portion 24 extends along the lower surface of the top wall 22b of the outer cylinder 22. The radial inner end of the nozzle portion 24 is connected to the inner cylinder 21. The inside of the nozzle portion 24 communicates with the inside of the inner cylinder 21. The radial outer end of the nozzle portion 24 is connected to the circumferential wall 22a of the outer cylinder 22 and penetrates the circumferential wall 22a radially. A discharge hole 25 is located at the radial outer end of the nozzle portion 24. The discharge hole 25 opens radially outward and communicates with the inside of the nozzle portion 24.

[0052] The nozzle section 24 has the function of changing the liquid contents into a desired state. Specifically, the nozzle section 24 changes the contents into, for example, a mist, spray, or foam, and discharges it from the discharge hole 25. However, it is not limited to these, and the nozzle section 24 may also discharge the contents from the discharge hole 25 in liquid form.

[0053] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the restricting portion 23 protrudes radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 22a of the outer cylinder 22. The restricting portion 23 is rib-shaped and extends in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the surface of the restricting portion 23 (the surface facing radially inward) has a curved shape that is convex radially inward.

[0054] Multiple restricting sections 23 are provided on the pressing head 2. In this embodiment, a pair of restricting sections 23 are provided, facing each other on a pair of thin-walled sections 14b of the support wall 14. The number of restricting sections 23 is the same as the number of sets of four contact sections 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D arranged in the circumferential direction, and also the same as the number of sets of three overpass sections 16 arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0055] The restricting section 23 can overcome the overcoming section 16 in the circumferential direction by rotating the pressing head 2 in the circumferential direction. Specifically, in Figure 2, the restricting section 23 moves circumferentially together with the pressing head 2 by rotating the pressing head 2 in the circumferential direction, and is able to overcome the strip-shaped body 16a in the circumferential direction while elastically deforming the strip-shaped body 16a radially inward.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the restricting portion 23 is positioned to overlap with a predetermined contact portion 15 among the multiple contact portions 15A, 15B, 15C, and 15D when viewed from above. The restricting portion 23 then comes into contact with the predetermined contact portion 15 when the push head 2 is pressed.

[0057] Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 2, the restricting portion 23 is positioned to overlap with the second contact portion 15B when viewed from above. Furthermore, when the user rotates the press head 2 in the circumferential direction, the restricting portion 23 moves over the overcoming portion 16 and is positioned to overlap with one of the first to fourth contact portions 15A to 15D when viewed from above. In other words, by rotating the press head 2 in the circumferential direction, the restricting portion 23 is positioned opposite one of the first to fourth contact portions 15A to 15D (a predetermined contact portion 15).

[0058] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 4, by pressing down the push head 2 and moving it downward, the lower surface of the restricting portion 23 comes into contact with the upper surface of the third contact portion 15C. That is, when the push head 2 is pressed, the restricting portion 23 comes into contact with one of the first to fourth contact portions 15A to 15D (a predetermined contact portion 15).

[0059] When the restricting part 23 comes into contact with a predetermined contact part 15, further downward movement of the push head 2 is restricted. Therefore, the amount of downward movement of the push head 2 is fixed according to the vertical position of the predetermined contact part 15 to which the restricting part 23 comes into contact, and as a result, the amount of contents discharged is also fixed to be fixed.

[0060] More specifically, in this embodiment, the vertical positions (heights) of the first to fourth contact portions 15A to 15D are lowered in this order. Therefore, the amount of pressure applied to the push head 2 increases in the order of the first to fourth contact portions 15A to 15D, depending on the contact portion 15 that the restricting portion 23 is in contact with. In other words, the amount of contents discharged by pressing down the push head 2 increases in the order of the first to fourth contact portions 15A to 15D, depending on the contact portion 15 that the restricting portion 23 is in contact with.

[0061] Specifically, in this embodiment, the amount of contents discharged is set as follows, depending on whether the contact portion 15 that the regulating portion 23 contacts is one of the first to fourth contact portions 15A to 15D. • When the regulating section 23 contacts the first contact section 15A... Discharge volume: 0 (zero) • When the regulating part 23 contacts the second contact part 15B... Discharge volume: Low • When the regulating section 23 contacts the third contact section 15C... Discharge volume: Medium • When the regulating section 23 contacts the fourth contact section 15D... Discharge volume: High

[0062] Furthermore, when the restricting portion 23 comes into contact with the first contact portion 15A, the contents are not dispensed (i.e., the downward movement of the push head 2 is restricted from the start). For this reason, the first contact portion 15A, which is located at the top of the multiple contact portions 15A to 15D, functions as a stopper that restricts the downward movement of the push head 2.

[0063] Pump 3 discharges the contents from the discharge port 25 by moving the push head 2 downward. Pump 3 in this embodiment is equipped with a so-called pressure accumulation mechanism that enables the contents to be discharged forcefully from the discharge port 25 under pressure.

[0064] As shown in Figure 1, the pump 3 comprises a cylinder 31, a suction pipe 32, a valve body 33, an annular member 34, a stem 35, a biasing member 36, a piston 37, a pressure accumulating cylinder 38, a pressure accumulating piston 39, a pressure accumulating valve body 40, and a pressure accumulating biasing member 41.

[0065] The cylinder 31 is positioned radially inward of the opening 101. The cylinder 31 is cylindrical in shape and extends vertically. More specifically, the cylinder 31 is a bottomed cylinder centered on the pump shaft O.

[0066] The cylinder 31 has a flange 31a. The flange 31a is an annular plate shape centered on the pump shaft O. The flange 31a extends radially outward from the upper end of the peripheral wall of the cylinder 31. The flange 31a, together with the annular packing 42, is held in place by being sandwiched from above and below between the upper end opening of the mouth portion 101 and the top wall 11b of the main body.

[0067] The suction tube 32 is suspended from the bottom wall of the cylinder 31. The suction tube 32 is cylindrical and extends vertically. The inside of the container body 100 and the inside of the cylinder 31 are in communication with each other through the inside of the suction tube 32.

[0068] The valve body 33 is a spherical member. The valve body 33 is seated on the seat portion 32a formed on the suction cylinder 32 from above the seat portion 32a. The valve body 33 is also provided so as to be able to move away from the seat portion 32a upward. When the valve body 33 contacts the seat portion 32a, communication between the inside of the cylinder 31 and the inside of the container body 100 is blocked. Conversely, when the valve body 33 moves away from the seat portion 32a, communication between the inside of the cylinder 31 and the inside of the container body 100 is restored. In other words, the valve body 33 switches between communication and blockage between the inside of the cylinder 31 and the inside of the container body 100. Although not specifically shown in the diagram, the valve body 33 may be an elastic valve such as a so-called three-point valve, which is configured to be able to separate upward from the seat portion 32a by elastic deformation.

[0069] The annular member 34 is ring-shaped with the pump shaft O as its center. The annular member 34 is fitted into the upper end opening of the peripheral wall of the cylinder 31. The annular member 34's flange-shaped outer circumference is held in place from above and below by the flange 31a and the main body top wall 11b, thereby restricting its movement in the vertical direction.

[0070] The stem 35 is fixed to the pressing head 2. The stem 35 has a stem cylinder portion 35a that fits inside the inner cylinder 21 of the pressing head 2, and a biasing member holding cylinder portion 35b that is connected to the stem cylinder portion 35a.

[0071] The stem cylinder portion 35a is substantially cylindrical with the pump shaft O as its center and extends in the vertical direction. The biasing member holding cylinder portion 35b is substantially double-cylinder with the pump shaft O as its center and is positioned radially outward from the stem cylinder portion 35a. The inner circumferential surface of the biasing member holding cylinder portion 35b and the outer circumferential surface of the stem cylinder portion 35a are connected to each other by a plurality of connecting pieces positioned between them and arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0072] The biasing member 36 is, for example, an elastically deformable compression coil spring, and expands and contracts in the vertical direction. The lower end of the biasing member 36 contacts the annular member 34 from above, and the upper end of the biasing member 36 contacts the biasing member holding cylinder portion 35b from below. The biasing member 36 biases the pressing head 2 upward via the stem 35.

[0073] The piston 37 is annular or cylindrical in shape, centered on the pump shaft O. The piston 37 is located inside the cylinder 31 and is slidable vertically relative to the cylinder 31 as the push head 2 is pushed down. The piston 37 is located below the annular member 34 and overlaps with the annular member 34 when viewed from above.

[0074] The pressure accumulator cylinder 38 is cylindrical with the pump shaft O as its center and extends in the vertical direction. The pressure accumulator cylinder 38 is positioned above the piston 37 and connected to the piston 37. In this embodiment, the pressure accumulator cylinder 38 and the piston 37 are integrally formed from a single component. The inside of the pressure accumulator cylinder 38 communicates with the inside of the cylinder 31. The pressure accumulator cylinder 38 is positioned radially inside the annular member 34 and is installed by inserting the annular member 34 vertically.

[0075] The pressure accumulator cylinder 38 has a smaller outer diameter than the piston 37. Therefore, the pump 3 of this embodiment is equipped with a pressure accumulator mechanism located inside (radially inward) of the piston 37. The pressure accumulator mechanism includes a pressure accumulator cylinder 38, a pressure accumulator piston 39, a pressure accumulator valve body 40, and a pressure accumulator biasing member 41.

[0076] The pressure accumulator piston 39 is cylindrical with the pump shaft O as its center and extends in the vertical direction. The pressure accumulator piston 39 is positioned inside the pressure accumulator cylinder 38 and is slidable in the vertical direction relative to the pressure accumulator cylinder 38. Specifically, the larger diameter portion of the pressure accumulator piston 39 located at the bottom slides against the inner circumferential surface of the pressure accumulator cylinder 38. The smaller diameter portion of the pressure accumulator piston 39 located at the top is inserted into the lower end opening of the stem cylinder portion 35a.

[0077] The pressure accumulator valve body 40 is columnar in shape with the pump shaft O as its center and extends vertically. The pressure accumulator valve body 40 is positioned inside the stem cylinder portion 35a, inside the pressure accumulator piston 39, and inside the pressure accumulator cylinder 38. The upper end of the pressure accumulator valve body 40 is fixed to the inner circumference of the stem cylinder portion 35a by engagement or the like. The pressure accumulator valve body 40 guides the vertical movement of the pressure accumulator piston 39.

[0078] Furthermore, the inside of the pressure accumulator cylinder 38 and the discharge hole 25 are in communication with each other via the inside of the pressure accumulator piston 39, the inside of the stem cylinder portion 35a, the communication groove 35c formed on the inner circumference of the stem cylinder portion 35a, the inside of the inner cylinder 21, and the nozzle portion 24.

[0079] Furthermore, the pressure accumulator valve body 40 has a pressure accumulator seating portion 40a. The pressure accumulator piston 39 is seated on the pressure accumulator seating portion 40a from above. The pressure accumulator piston 39 is also provided so as to be able to move away from the pressure accumulator seating portion 40a upward. When the pressure accumulator piston 39 contacts the pressure accumulator seating portion 40a, communication between the inside of the pressure accumulator cylinder 38 and the discharge hole 25 is blocked. Conversely, when the pressure accumulator piston 39 moves away from the pressure accumulator seating portion 40a, communication between the inside of the pressure accumulator cylinder 38 and the discharge hole 25 is restored. In other words, the pressure accumulator valve body 40 (specifically the pressure accumulator seating portion 40a) contacts the pressure accumulator piston 39 from below, switching between communication and blockage between the inside of the pressure accumulator cylinder 38 and the discharge hole 25.

[0080] The pressure accumulating biasing member 41 is, for example, an elastically deformable compression coil spring, and expands and contracts in the vertical direction. The pressure accumulating biasing member 41 is positioned inside the pressure accumulating cylinder 38. The lower end of the pressure accumulating biasing member 41 contacts a stepped portion provided on the outer circumference of the pressure accumulating piston 39 from above. The upper end of the pressure accumulating biasing member 41 contacts a stepped portion provided on the outer circumference of the stem cylinder portion 35a from below. The pressure accumulating biasing member 41 biases the pressure accumulating piston 39 downward, thereby pressing the pressure accumulating piston 39 against the pressure accumulating seat portion 40a.

[0081] In the pump 3 configured as described above, when the internal pressure of the pressure accumulator cylinder 38 increases due to the downward pressure of the push head 2, the pressure accumulator piston 39 moves upward away from the pressure accumulator seat portion 40a of the pressure accumulator valve body 40 against the biasing force of the pressure accumulator biasing member 41, and the inside of the pressure accumulator cylinder 38 and the discharge hole 25 come into communication.

[0082] More specifically, when the user pushes down the push head 2, the piston 37 moves downward within the cylinder 31, causing the internal pressure of the cylinder 31 to increase. Since the internals of the cylinder 31 and the pressure accumulator cylinder 38 are in communication with each other, the internal pressure of the pressure accumulator cylinder 38 also increases as the internal pressure of the cylinder 31 rises.

[0083] The pressure accumulating piston 39 is seated on the pressure accumulating valve body 40 by being biased downward by the pressure accumulating biasing member 41, thereby blocking communication between the inside of the pressure accumulating cylinder 38 and the discharge hole 25. When the internal pressure of the pressure accumulating cylinder 38 rises above a certain level due to the downward pressure of the push head 2, the pressure accumulating piston 39 moves upward against the biasing force of the pressure accumulating biasing member 41 and moves upward away from the pressure accumulating valve body 40. As a result, communication is established between the inside of the pressure accumulating cylinder 38 and the discharge hole 25, and the contents stored in the pressure accumulating cylinder 38 and cylinder 31 are discharged from the discharge hole 25 under pressure.

[0084] Furthermore, when the user releases the downward operation of the push head 2, the upward biasing force of the biasing member 36 causes the piston 37 to move upward together with the push head 2. As a result, negative pressure is created inside the cylinder 31, the valve body 33 moves upward away from the seat portion 32a, and the contents of the container body 100 flow into the cylinder 31 through the inside of the suction cylinder 32.

[0085] In the discharger 10 of this embodiment described above, when the user rotates the push head 2 in the circumferential direction, the restricting portion 23 of the push head 2 moves over the overlapping portion 16 of the mounting cylinder 1 in the circumferential direction. As a result, the restricting portion 23 is positioned facing from above a predetermined contact portion 15 that is adjacent to the overlapping portion 16 in the circumferential direction, among a plurality of contact portions 15 (15A to 15D) that have different vertical positions (heights).

[0086] In this state, when the user pushes down the push head 2, the contents are discharged from the discharge hole 25 by the action of the pump 3. Then, when the restricting part 23 and the predetermined contact part 15 come into contact, further downward movement of the push head 2 is restricted, and the discharge of the contents is stopped.

[0087] According to this embodiment, the amount the push-down of the push-down head 2 is determined according to the vertical position of a predetermined contact portion 15 that the restricting portion 23 of the push-down head 2 contacts, and this also determines the amount of contents to be dispensed. Specifically, the user can select a predetermined contact portion 15 from among a plurality of contact portions 15 (15A to 15D) with different vertical heights by rotating the push-down head 2 in the circumferential direction, and by facing the restricting portion 23, select the desired amount of contents to be dispensed. In other words, the amount of contents to be dispensed can be switched to a large or small amount (in this embodiment, one of large, medium, or small).

[0088] Then, by a simple operation of pushing down the push head 2 until the regulating part 23 and the predetermined contact part 15 come into contact, a fixed amount (desired amount) of contents can be stably dispensed. In other words, a stably desired amount of discharge can be achieved. In this embodiment, it is also possible to select zero discharge volume (stopper function of the push head 2).

[0089] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the user cannot visually confirm, for example, from outside the dispensing device 10, the state in which the restricting portion 23 and the predetermined contact portion 15 are facing each other, a click sensation is obtained when the pressing head 2 is rotated, as the restricting portion 23 moves over the overcoming portion 16. Therefore, the state in which the restricting portion 23 and the predetermined contact portion 15 are facing each other can be easily recognized. This results in good operability.

[0090] In this embodiment, the overhang portion 16 has a strip-shaped body 16a that protrudes radially from the wall surface of the support wall 14 and extends circumferentially, and a weight-reducing portion 16b that is positioned between the wall surface of the support wall 14 and the strip-shaped body 16a, and the strip-shaped body 16a is elastically deformable in the radial direction. In this case, when the user rotates the push head 2 in the circumferential direction, the restricting part 23 overcomes the overcoming part 16 while elastically deforming the strip-shaped body 16a of the overcoming part 16 in the radial direction. Since a weight-reducing portion 16b is positioned between the wall surface of the support wall 14 and the strip-shaped body 16a, the strip-shaped body 16a is made more elastically deformable so as to narrow the radial dimension of the weight-reducing portion 16b, that is, to approach the wall surface of the support wall 14. Because the restricting part 23 can stably overcome the overcoming part 16, the operability of the push head 2 when it rotates is improved.

[0091] In this embodiment, the strip-shaped body 16a extends in a curved shape that is convex in the radial direction. Also, the side surface 15g of the contact portion 15 extends along the curved shape of the strip-shaped body 16a when viewed from above and below, and is close to or coincides with the strip-shaped body 16a. In this case, since the strip-shaped body 16a has a curved shape that is convex in the radial direction, the restricting portion 23 can more stably overcome the overhang portion 16. Furthermore, when molding the mounting cylinder 1 by injection molding, the strip-shaped body 16a (overhang portion 16) and the contact portion 15 can be molded using the upper and lower molds without using a special structure for the mold, making manufacturing easy.

[0092] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pump 3 is equipped with a so-called pressure accumulation mechanism. With the above configuration, the pump 3 has a pressure accumulation mechanism inside the piston 37, which allows the diameter of the pressure accumulating biasing member 41 to be reduced, thereby reducing the force required for the upward movement of the pressure accumulating piston 39. As a result, when the push head 2 is pressed, the pressure accumulating valve body 40 is opened with less force, thus reducing the pressing force (downward force).

[0093] As the pressure accumulation piston 39 moves upward during the initial phase of pressing down the push head 2, the initial pressing force is reduced. Furthermore, since the pressing operation can be continued without further effort, the user perceives the pressing force as being reduced. In other words, the user can dispense a large amount of contents with light pressure, resulting in improved operability. Specifically, the pressure-accumulating piston 39, which has low sliding resistance, moves before the piston 37, which has high sliding resistance, resulting in a perceived reduction in the downward force.

[0094] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and modifications to the configuration, etc., are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention, as described below, for example.

[0095] In the embodiments described above, an example was given in which the support wall 14 is cylindrical, but it is not limited to this. The support wall 14 only needs to extend in the circumferential direction, and may be, for example, a curved wall portion that is not annular.

[0096] The strip-shaped body 16a of the overhang portion 16 is not limited to protruding radially outward from the outer circumferential surface (wall surface) of the support wall 14, but may also protrude radially inward from the inner circumferential surface (wall surface) of the support wall 14. Similarly, the contact portion 15 is not limited to protruding radially outward from the outer circumferential surface (wall surface) of the support wall 14, but may also protrude radially inward from the inner circumferential surface (wall surface) of the support wall 14. In this case, the circumferential wall 22a of the outer cylinder 22 of the push-down head 2 is positioned radially inward of the support wall 14. The restricting portion 23 of the push-down head 2 protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the circumferential wall 22a of the outer cylinder 22.

[0097] Furthermore, pump 3 is not limited to those equipped with the pressure accumulation mechanism described above.

[0098] Furthermore, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, the components in the embodiments described above can be replaced with well-known components as appropriate, and the embodiments and modifications described above can be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0099] 1...Mounting cylinder, 2...Pushing head, 3...Pump, 10...Discharger, 14...Support wall, 15 (15A~15D)...Contact part, 15g...Side, 16...Overcoming part, 16a...Strip-shaped body, 16b...Weight reduction part, 23...Regulating part, 25...Discharge hole, 31...Cylinder, 33...Valve body, 36...Biasing member, 37...Piston, 38...Pressure accumulation cylinder, 39...Pressure accumulation piston, 40...Pressure accumulation valve body, 41...Pressure accumulation biasing member, 100...Container body, 101...Mouth

Claims

1. A mounting tube that is attached to the mouth of the container body in which the contents are contained, A pressing head having a discharge hole for discharging contents, and mounted so as to be movable vertically and rotatable circumferentially relative to the mounting cylinder, The pump comprises a pump that discharges contents from the discharge hole by the downward movement of the pressing head, The aforementioned mounting cylinder is Multiple contact parts are arranged in a circumferential direction and have different vertical positions from each other, A crossover portion is arranged adjacent to the contact portion in the circumferential direction, It has a support wall that extends in the circumferential direction, The pressing head has a restricting portion that can overcome the overcoming portion in the circumferential direction by rotating the pressing head in the circumferential direction. The regulating portion, when viewed from above, is positioned to overlap with a predetermined contact portion among the plurality of contact portions, and when the pressing head is pressed, it comes into contact with the predetermined contact portion. The aforementioned overpass portion is, A strip-shaped body that protrudes radially from the wall surface of the support wall and extends circumferentially, It has a weight-reducing portion positioned between the wall surface of the support wall and the strip-shaped body, The aforementioned strip-shaped body is elastically deformable in the radial direction. Dispenser.

2. The aforementioned strip-shaped body extends in a curved shape that is convex in the radial direction, The contact portion has a side surface that protrudes radially from the wall surface of the support wall and faces in the circumferential direction. The aforementioned side surface, when viewed from above, extends along the curved shape of the strip-shaped body and is adjacent to or coincides with the strip-shaped body. The discharger according to claim 1.

3. A mounting tube that is attached to the mouth of the container body in which the contents are contained, A pressing head having a discharge hole for discharging contents, and mounted so as to be movable vertically and rotatable circumferentially relative to the mounting cylinder, The pump comprises a pump that discharges contents from the discharge hole by the downward movement of the pressing head, The aforementioned mounting cylinder is Multiple contact parts are arranged in a circumferential direction and have different vertical positions from each other, It has a crossover portion that is arranged adjacent to the contact portion in the circumferential direction, The pressing head has a restricting portion that can overcome the overcoming portion in the circumferential direction by rotating the pressing head in the circumferential direction. The regulating portion, when viewed from above, is positioned to overlap with a predetermined contact portion among the plurality of contact portions, and when the pressing head is pressed, it comes into contact with the predetermined contact portion. The aforementioned pump, A cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, A valve body that switches between communication and isolation between the inside of the cylinder and the inside of the container body, A piston is disposed within the cylinder and is capable of sliding vertically relative to the cylinder as the pressing head is pushed down, A pressure accumulator is connected to the piston, has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, and its interior is in communication with the inside of the cylinder, A pressure accumulating piston is disposed within the pressure accumulating cylinder and is slidable vertically relative to the pressure accumulating cylinder, A pressure accumulating valve body that contacts the pressure accumulating piston from below the pressure accumulating piston and switches between communication and blockage between the inside of the pressure accumulating cylinder and the discharge hole, The system includes a pressure-accumulating biasing member that biases the pressure-accumulating piston downward, When the internal pressure of the pressure accumulator cylinder increases due to the downward pressure of the push-down head, the pressure accumulator piston moves upward away from the pressure accumulator valve body against the biasing force of the pressure accumulator biasing member, and the inside of the pressure accumulator cylinder and the discharge hole come into communication. Dispenser.

Images