Dispenser with stopper

Abstract

To provide an ejector with a stopper in which a stopper for preventing unintentional pushing down of a depression head is equipped with a structure to regulate a push down of the depression head and with a structure to be suspended from a towel hanger or the like.SOLUTION: An ejector with a stopper comprises a cap 2, an annular body 24 provided at a top wall 23 of the cap 2, a depression head 31 and a stopper 4 for regulating the pushing down of the depression head 31. The stopper 4 has a body portion 41 in a C-shape and a plate-like member 43 supported on an outer peripheral wall of the body portion 41 through a shaft portion 42. The cap 2 has a cut-out 6 allowing the shaft portion 42 to pass through and an insertion pathway 5 for securing the stopper 4 on the peripheral wall of the cap 2 by rotating the body portion 41 together with the plate-like member 43 around the axis of the shaft portion 42 with the plate-like member 43 kept inserted along the cut-out 6. The body portion 41, when the stopper 4 is secured on the peripheral wall of the cap 2, constitutes a suspension support.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser with a stopper that regulates the depression of a pressing head for discharging a content made of a liquid material through a nozzle.

Background Art

[0002] As a container for a content made of a liquid material such as shampoo, conditioner, cosmetics, etc., those having a dispenser equipped with a pressing head are widely used. The dispenser has a pump mechanism, and by pressing the pressing head downward, the pump mechanism is driven through a hollow stem to suck the content in the container, pressurize and compress it, so that it can be discharged from a nozzle provided on the pressing head. In such a container, since the content is easily discharged through the nozzle by pressing the pressing head, a stopper for preventing the pressing head from being unintentionally pressed down during distribution, handling, etc. is known (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The dispenser equipped with the above pump mechanism is often used in a bathroom such as shampoo and conditioner, and there is a problem in that dirt easily occurs, such as mold growing at the bottom due to moisture in the bathroom. In recent years, the proportion of consumers who only take a shower for bathing has also increased, and there is a desire to hang shampoo, conditioner, facial cleanser, etc. on a towel rack in the bathroom and store them within reach.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a dispenser with a stopper that prevents unintended downward pressing of the pressing head, and that also has a configuration that restricts the pushing of the pressing head, as well as a configuration that allows it to be suspended from a towel rack or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The stopper-equipped dispenser of the present invention, developed to achieve the above objective, comprises: a cap attached to the neck of a container to seal and maintain the contents of the container; an annular body provided on the top wall of the cap; a pressing head that, by repeatedly pressing, drives a pump mechanism suspended and held inside the neck to discharge the contents of the container through a nozzle; and a stopper detachably attached to the body portion of the annular body, which restricts the pressing of the pressing head by bringing its upper end surface into contact with the lower end of the pressing head and its lower end surface into contact with the top wall of the cap. The stopper has a C-shaped main body portion having an upper end surface and a lower end surface, and a pair of arms capable of gripping the body portion of the annular body with elastic deformation, and a plate-shaped member supported on the outer circumferential wall of the main body portion via a shaft portion, The cap has a notch formed by cutting out the peripheral wall of the cap, which allows the shaft to pass through, and an insertion path for fixing the stopper to the peripheral wall of the cap by inserting the plate-shaped member from an open end formed in the top wall of the cap along the notch and rotating the main body together with the plate-shaped member around the axis of the shaft while maintaining the insertion position. The main body portion is characterized in that, when the stopper is fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap, it constitutes a suspension support portion that suspends the container together with the pressing head.

[0007] In the stopper-equipped dispenser of the present invention, it is preferable that the insertion path has two projections on the wall surface along the peripheral wall of the cap, where, when the main body portion is rotated together with the plate-shaped member to fix the stopper to the peripheral wall of the cap, both ends of the plate-shaped member overcome the inclined surface and the top surface adjacent to the inclined surface and engage in an undercut fitting.

[0008] Furthermore, in the stopper-equipped discharger of the present invention, when both ends of the plate-shaped member are fitted with an undercut, the projection of the two projections that is close to the top wall of the cap moves the end of the plate-shaped member downwards. to It is preferable to have another projection for gripping.

[0009] Furthermore, in the stopper-equipped dispenser of the present invention, it is preferable that the stopper is positioned such that, when the body portion of the annular body is held between the pair of arms, the main body portion is visible in a C-shape when viewed from above the container, and when the stopper is fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap, the main body portion is visible in a C-shape when viewed from the side of the container.

[0010] Furthermore, in the stopper-equipped dispenser of the present invention, it is preferable that the pair of arms have an opening between them that is located below the axis of the shaft portion while the stopper is fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap.

[0011] Furthermore, in the stopper-equipped dispenser of the present invention, it is preferable that the cap has a contact portion on the outer surface of the peripheral wall surrounding the notch, and the main body portion has a fixing portion on its outer peripheral wall that contacts the contact portion when the stopper is fixed to the cap, thereby maintaining the stopper in a stable fixed position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the stopper-equipped dispenser of the present invention, the stopper that restricts the pressing of the pressing head can be removed when using the dispenser, and a plate-shaped member provided on the outer peripheral wall of the stopper can be inserted into an insertion path provided on the peripheral wall of the cap and rotated together with the stopper to fix the stopper to the peripheral wall of the cap, thereby forming a suspension support part that suspends the container together with the pressing head.

[0013] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the main body of the stopper is C-shaped and is fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap while rotating as described above. Before use (when the pressing head is restricted from being pressed down), the main body is positioned so that it is visible as a C shape in a plan view of the container, as it is held in place by a pair of arms on the annular body portion provided on the top wall of the cap. However, when use begins (when it is fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap), the main body is positioned so that it is visible as a C shape in a side view of the container. Therefore, by fixing the stopper, which is removed for use, to the peripheral wall of the cap, the main body (C-shaped) forms a hanging support part for hooking onto a rod-shaped member such as a towel rack. By using this hanging support part as a hook and suspending the dispenser in a bathroom or the like, there is no need to add any new parts, and the increase in cost and materials used can be suppressed.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the stopper-equipped dispenser of the present invention, two projections having inclined surfaces are provided on the wall surface along the peripheral wall of the cap of the insertion path. When fixing the stopper to the peripheral wall of the cap, the ends of the plate-shaped member of the rotated stopper are fitted undercut by overcoming the inclined surfaces of the projections and the top surface adjacent to the inclined surfaces. This allows the plate-shaped member to be firmly fixed within the insertion path of the cap, preventing the stopper from falling out of the cap during use. The fixing of the plate-shaped member within the insertion path of the cap can be made even more secure by providing another projection below the projection that is closer to the top wall of the cap, and clamping both ends of the rotated plate-shaped member from above and below.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the stopper-equipped dispenser of the present invention, a fixing part consisting of a projection or rib is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the main body portion of the stopper, and when inserting the plate-shaped member of the stopper into the insertion path, the fixing part can be brought into contact with a contact part, for example, a flat surface, provided on the outer peripheral wall surrounding the notch portion provided on the peripheral wall of the cap, while pushing up the plate-shaped member. This allows for a smooth insertion operation, maintains the stopper in a stable fixed position, and effectively prevents the stopper from falling off the cap. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This figure shows one embodiment of a stopper-equipped discharger according to the present invention before it is put into use, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view. [Figure 2] Figure 1(a) is a cross-sectional side view of the stopper-equipped discharger shown in Figure 1, specifically at position AA. [Figure 3] (a) is a plan view of the stopper-equipped discharger shown in Figure 1 with the stopper removed, (b) is a side view, (c) is a plan view of the removed stopper, and (d) is a side view of the stopper. [Figure 4](a) is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the stopper, and (b) is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the cap. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing a cut-away cross section of portions B, B, C, and C in FIG. 4(b). [Figure 6] It is a view showing a state in which the plate-like member of the stopper in the dispenser with a stopper shown in FIG. 1 is inserted into the insertion path provided in the outer cylinder of the cap, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a view showing the state of the plate-like member in the insertion path. [Figure 7] It is a view showing a state in which the stopper is rotated from the state of FIG. 6 and fixed to the outer cylinder of the cap, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a view showing the state of the plate-like member in the insertion path. [Figure 8] It is a view showing the suspended state of the dispenser with a stopper.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of a dispenser with a stopper before starting use according to the present invention, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a cross section at the A-A position in FIG. 1(a) of the dispenser with a stopper in FIG. 1. FIG. 3(a) is a plan view showing a state in which the stopper is removed from the dispenser with a stopper in FIG. 1, (b) is a side view, (c) is a plan view of the removed stopper, and (d) is a side view of the stopper. FIG. 4(a) is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the stopper, and (b) is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the cap. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cut-away cross section of portions B, B, C, and C in FIG. 4(b).

[0018] In FIGS. 1 to 5, reference numeral 1 is a container for storing contents, 2 is a cap that is screwed onto the neck portion 11 of the container 1 and hermetically seals the inside of the container 1, and reference numeral 3 is a pump mechanism that passes through the central portion of the cap 2 and is suspended and held inside the neck portion 11.

[0019] Container 1 has an internal space for filling contents and is provided with a cylindrical neck 11 at its top. Container 1 can be manufactured using materials such as synthetic resin by extrusion blow molding or biaxial stretch blow molding, but the material is not particularly limited. Furthermore, while this embodiment shows a cylindrical container 1 as an example, the shape of the container can be appropriately changed based on the type of contents, the design of the container, its intended use, etc., and is not limited to the illustrated shape.

[0020] The cap 2 has an inner cylinder 21 and an outer cylinder 22, which are integrally formed via a top wall 23 provided at the upper end. The inner cylinder 21 has a female thread 21a on its inner circumferential wall and is attached detachably by screwing it onto a male thread 11a provided on the outer circumferential wall of the neck portion 11 of the container 1, or by undercut fitting. The cap 2 has an annular body 24 that rises from the top wall 23 integrally provided. The cap 2 can be manufactured using materials such as synthetic resin, but the material is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, a cylindrical shape is shown as an example, but it is not limited to the illustrated shape.

[0021] On the underside of the cap 2, a pump mechanism 3 is positioned, suspended and held inside the neck 11 of the container 1. This mechanism is connected to a hollow stem 34 that passes through the top wall 23 and the annular body 24, respectively. The pump mechanism 3 has a pressing head 31, and by repeatedly pressing the pressing head 31, the pump mechanism 3 is driven via the hollow stem 34, drawing the contents contained in the container 1 through the suction tube 32, while simultaneously pressurizing and compressing them before they are discharged from the nozzle 33 of the pressing head 31. The pump mechanism 3 is also fixedly held in place by the cap 2 through an undercut fitting or the like.

[0022] Reference numeral 4 denotes a stopper that is detachably positioned on the body portion of the annular body 24 of the cap 2. As shown in Figure 1(b), the upper end surface 4a of the stopper 4 abuts against the lower end of the pressing head 31, and the lower end surface 4b abuts against the top wall 23 of the cap 2, thereby restricting the downward pushing of the pressing head 31 and preventing unintended discharge of the contents inside the container during distribution or before use.

[0023] As shown in Figures 3(c), (d) and 4(a), the stopper 4 has a main body portion 41 that forms a C shape in a plan view of the container 1, a cylindrical shaft portion 42 protruding from the outer peripheral wall of the main body portion 41, a rectangular plate-like member 43 supported by the shaft portion 42, and a fixing portion 44 consisting of one or more (two in Figure 2) vertical ribs positioned across the shaft portion 42 and extending along the entire length of the main body portion 41. Note that the shaft portion 42 and the plate-like member 43 are not limited to the shapes shown and can be changed as appropriate. In this embodiment, the fixing portion 44 is composed of vertical ribs, but as will be described later, when the stopper 4 is fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap 2, it can have any shape as long as it can abut against the contact portion 7 provided on the outer surface of the peripheral wall surrounding the notch portion 6, and can be a projection or a flat surface, etc.

[0024] The main body portion 41 of the stopper 4 is equipped with a pair of elastically deformable arms 48a and 48b, and an opening 45 is formed between the arms 48a and 48b, allowing the stopper 4 to be attached to or detached by fitting it into or pulling out the body portion of the annular body 24 of the cap 2 through the opening 45. The main body portion 41 is made of an elastically deformable material, preferably synthetic resin, and in this embodiment, each component is molded integrally, but the components can also be made separately. As is clear from the plan view in Figure 3(c), the opening 45 of the stopper 4 is positioned offset in the circumferential direction from the axis L of the shaft portion 42, and when the stopper 4 is fixed to the circumferential wall of the cap 2 in a C-shape when viewed from the side, as will be described later, the opening 45 is positioned below the axis L of the shaft portion 42 (towards the bottom of the container).

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, vertical ribs 46 are provided on the outer peripheral wall of the main body portion 41 of the stopper 4, as described later, to prevent slipping when the main body portion 41 is grasped and rotated with the fingers, and as a gripping portion when pulling it out.

[0026] Reference numeral 5 denotes an insertion path provided on the peripheral wall of the outer cylinder 22 of the cap 2, consisting of a recess for inserting the plate-shaped member 43 of the stopper 4 from the top wall 23 side; 6 denotes a notch through which the shaft portion 42 passes when the plate-shaped member 43 is inserted along the insertion path 5; and 7 denotes a contact portion provided on the outer surface of the peripheral wall surrounding the notch portion 6. In this embodiment, the contact portion 7 consists of a flat surface, but as described above, it can have any shape as long as it can contact the fixing portion 44 of the stopper 4 when the stopper 4 is fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap 2. For example, the contact portion 7 can be made of vertical ribs and the fixing portion 44 of the stopper 4 can be made of a flat surface, or both the contact portion 7 and the fixing portion 44 can be made of vertical ribs, etc., and these can be selected as appropriate. In addition, in this embodiment, the contact portion 7 is integrally formed on the peripheral wall surface of the outer cylinder 22, but it can also be made separately from the outer cylinder 22.

[0027] As shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 5, the insertion path 5 has three protrusions 51, 52, and 53 on the wall surface (inner wall surface) along the peripheral wall of the cap 2. Protrusions 51 and 52 have a triangular cross-section with inclined surfaces 51a and 52a and are provided at diagonal positions. Protrusion 53 has a rectangular shape and is located on the side of protrusions 51 and 52 that is closer to the top wall 23, below protrusion 51 in this embodiment, and is formed so that its upper end surface is flush with the upper end surface of protrusion 52.

[0028] The notch portion 6 has a notch portion 6a that extends in a direction along the axis of the cap 2, and a notch extension portion 6b that extends from the lower end of the notch portion 6a in the circumferential direction of the cap 2. The notch extension portion 6b is provided for the convenience of removing the mold when forming the cap 2, and may not be provided if it does not hinder the removal of the mold.

[0029] Figure 6 shows the stopper-equipped discharger of Figure 1 with the plate-shaped member 43 of the stopper 4 inserted into the insertion path 5 provided in the outer cylinder 22 of the cap 2, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a side view, and (c) shows the state of the plate-shaped member 43 inside the insertion path 5. Figure 7 shows the stopper 4 rotated from the state in Figure 6 and fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap 2, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a side view, and (c) shows the state of the plate-shaped member 43 inside the insertion path 5. Figure 8 shows the stopper-equipped discharger in a suspended state.

[0030] A method for fixing the stopper 4 to the peripheral wall of the cap 2 (outer cylinder 22) will be described according to Figures 6 and 7. To begin use, the plate-shaped member 43 of the stopper 4, which has been removed from the annular body 24 of the cap 2, is inserted into the top wall 23 through the open end formed therein, with the shaft portion 42 aligned with the notch portion 6, as shown in Figure 6. As a result, the rectangular plate-shaped member 43 is inserted along the projections 51, 52, and 53 provided on the wall surface of the insertion path 5 (between projections 51, 53 and projection 52), with its two long sides 43a and 43b aligned therein, as shown in Figure 6(c).

[0031] Furthermore, when inserting the plate-shaped member 43 of the stopper 4 into the insertion path 5, the fixing portion 44, which consists of two vertical ribs provided on the outer peripheral wall of the main body portion 41, comes into contact with the contact portion 7, which consists of the flat surface of the cap 2. As a result, the plate-shaped member 43 can be smoothly pushed downward while the fixing portion 44 comes into contact with the contact portion 7, and the stopper 4 can be maintained in a stable fixed position. In addition, as will be described later, the main body portion 41 of the stopper 4 can be rotated stably.

[0032] With the plate-shaped member 43 still inserted into the insertion path 5, rotating the main body portion 41 of the stopper 4 around the axis of the shaft portion 42 will cause the plate-shaped member 43 in the insertion path 5 to rotate from the position indicated by the dotted line in the direction indicated by the arrow, as shown in Figure 7(c). The main body portion 41 is rotated in a direction that causes the opening 45 to face downwards.

[0033] At this time, the ends of the two long sides 43a and 43b of the plate-shaped member 43 abut against the projections 51 and 52 provided on the wall surface of the insertion path 5, respectively. The long sides 43a and 43b overcome the inclined surfaces 51a and 52a of the projections 51 and 52 and the top surfaces that follow the inclined surfaces 51a and 52a, and are fitted in an undercut configuration. At the same time, one of the long sides 43b of the plate-shaped member 43 abuts against the upper end surface of the projection 53, and is held from above and below by the projections 51 and 53. As a result, the stopper 4 can be fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap 2 (outer cylinder 22), as shown in Figure 7. In this embodiment, a structure in which the plate-shaped member 43 is rotated 90° counterclockwise to fix the stopper 4 to the peripheral wall of the cap 2 is shown as an example, but the rotation angle of the plate-shaped member 43 can be changed as appropriate.

[0034] Before use, as shown in Figure 1, the stopper 4 is used with its main body portion 41 positioned so that it forms a C shape in a plan view of the container 1. However, after use (when fixed to the cap 2), as shown in Figure 7, the main body portion 41 is rotated as described above so that it forms a C shape in a side view of the container 1, thus forming a suspension support portion. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the main body portion 41 can be elastically deformed to hold onto a rod-shaped member 8 such as a towel rack from above, and used as a hook, allowing the container 1 to be suspended together with the pressing head 31 in a bathroom or the like. At this time, since the opening 45 is positioned offset from the axis L of the shaft portion 42, when the stopper 4 is fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap 2, it is positioned below the axis L, and the support portion by the main body portion 41 becomes longer, allowing the container 1 to be stably suspended and supported, and preventing the container 1 from falling off the rod-shaped member 8.

[0035] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a plurality of protrusions 47 (five in this embodiment) on the inner circumferential surface of the main body portion 41. These protrusions 47 can suppress the rotation of the main body portion 41 when it is hooked onto the rod-shaped member 8 (preventing slippage), thereby preventing the container 1 from falling off the rod-shaped member 8. [Industrial applicability]

[0036] The stopper-equipped dispenser of the present invention can be suitably used as a container for filling liquid, creamy, viscous foods and beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, detergents, and the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 1 container 11. Oral and cervical region 11a Male screw 2 caps 21 Inner cylinder 21a Female thread 22 Outer cylinder 23. Ceiling Wall 24 Ring bodies 3. Pump mechanism 31 Pressing head 32 Suction tube 33 nozzles 34 Hollow Stem 4 Stoppers 4a Top end surface 4b Lower end surface 41 Main body part 42 Shaft section 43 Plate-shaped member 43a, 43b Longer side 44 Fixed part 45 Opening 46 Vertical Ribs 47 Convex part 48a, 48b arms 5. Insertion path 51 protrusion 52 Protrusion 53 Protrusion 6. Notch 6a Notched section 6b Notched extension 7 Contact part 8. Rod-shaped member

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising: a cap attached to the neck of a container to seal and hold the contents inside the container; an annular body provided on the top wall of the cap; a pressing head that, by repeatedly pressing, drives a pump mechanism suspended and held inside the neck to discharge the contents of the container through a nozzle; and a stopper detachably attached to the body portion of the annular body, which restricts the pressing of the pressing head by having its upper end surface abut against the lower end of the pressing head and its lower end surface abut against the top wall of the cap, The stopper has a C-shaped main body portion having an upper end surface and a lower end surface, and a pair of arms capable of gripping the body portion of the annular body with elastic deformation, and a plate-shaped member supported on the outer circumferential wall of the main body portion via a shaft portion, The cap has a notch formed by cutting out the peripheral wall of the cap, which allows the shaft to pass through, and an insertion path for fixing the stopper to the peripheral wall of the cap by inserting the plate-shaped member from an open end formed in the top wall of the cap along the notch and rotating the main body together with the plate-shaped member around the axis of the shaft while maintaining the insertion position. The dispenser with a stopper is characterized in that the main body portion constitutes a suspension support portion that suspends the container together with the pressing head when the stopper is fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap.

2. The stoppered dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the insertion path has two projections on the wall surface along the peripheral wall of the cap, which, when the main body portion is rotated together with the plate-shaped member to fix the stopper to the peripheral wall of the cap, allow both ends of the plate-shaped member to overcome the inclined surface and the top surface adjacent to the inclined surface and engage in an undercut fitting.

3. The stoppered dispenser according to claim 2, characterized in that when both ends of the plate-shaped member are fitted together with an undercut, the projection of the two projections that is close to the top wall of the cap has another projection positioned below which it clamps the end of the plate-shaped member from above and below.

4. The stopper is positioned such that, when the body portion of the annular body is held between the pair of arms, the main body portion is visible in a C-shape when viewed from above the container, and when the stopper is fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap, the main body portion is visible in a C-shape when viewed from the side of the container, as described in claim 1 or 2.

5. The stoppered dispenser according to claim 4, characterized in that the pair of arms have an opening between them that is located below the axis of the shaft portion with the stopper fixed to the peripheral wall of the cap.

6. The stoppered dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cap has a contact portion on the outer surface of the peripheral wall surrounding the notch, and the main body portion has a fixing portion on its outer peripheral wall that contacts the contact portion when the stopper is fixed to the cap, thereby maintaining the stopper in a stable fixed position.

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