Discharge container

Abstract

To provide an ejection container easy to realize a smooth ejection from the initial action.SOLUTION: An ejection container 1 comprises a container body 3, a cylinder 9 held in the container body 3, an actuation member 6 allowed to eject a content 2 within the container body 3 through an upstream reverse-flow inhibiting portion 21, a pump chamber 20, and a downstream reverse-flow inhibiting portion 23 in order by performing an axial reciprocation between an initial position and an upstream position relatively to the cylinder 9 by operation, and a rod-like valve body 7 that forms the upstream reverse-flow inhibiting portion 21 in cooperation with an upstream seat portion 17 provided in the cylinder 9. One of the actuation member 6 and the rod-like valve body 7 has a projection 24 and the other of the actuation member 6 and the rod-like valve body 7 has a guide portion 25 to axially guide the projection 24 during a reciprocation of the actuation member 6 relative to the cylinder 9, so that a movement of the actuation member 6 from the initial position to the upstream position allows the rod-like valve body 7 to seat on the upstream seat portion 17 by slide resistance between the projection 24 and the guide portion 25, thus changing the slide resistance and arising the maximum slide resistance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge container.

Background Art

[0002] A discharge container is known that has a container body, a cylinder held by the container body, and an actuating member that reciprocates axially between an initial position and an upstream position with respect to the cylinder by operation, thereby causing the contents in the container body to pass sequentially through an upstream backflow prevention portion, a pump chamber, and a downstream backflow prevention portion and be discharged. The discharge container also has a rod-shaped valve body that cooperates with an upstream seating portion provided on the cylinder to form the upstream backflow prevention portion. The actuating member has a convex portion, and the rod-shaped valve body has a guiding portion that guides the convex portion axially when the actuating member reciprocates with respect to the cylinder. The movement of the actuating member from the initial position to the upstream position seats the rod-shaped valve body on the upstream seating portion due to the sliding resistance between the convex portion and the guiding portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a discharge container as described above, depending on the selection of the materials used and the type of the contents, etc., there is a risk that while the actuating member is in the initial position during distribution and storage, etc., the convex portion may plastically deform in a direction of being crushed by the contact over time with respect to the guiding portion, resulting in a decrease in the sliding resistance with respect to the guiding portion. Therefore, there was a risk that the design would become complicated in order to achieve smooth discharge from the initial operation.

[0005] ​​​​​​​ One embodiment of the present invention is as follows:

[0007] [1] The container body and A cylinder held in the container body, An operating member that, through operation, reciprocates axially between an initial position and an upstream position relative to the cylinder, thereby discharging the contents of the container body by sequentially passing them through the upstream backflow suppression section, the pump chamber, and the downstream backflow suppression section, The cylinder has a rod-shaped valve body that cooperates with an upstream seating portion to form the upstream backflow suppression portion, The operating member and the rod-shaped valve body have a protrusion, The other of the operating member and the rod-shaped valve body has a guide portion that guides the protrusion in the axial direction when the operating member reciprocates relative to the cylinder, The movement of the operating member from the initial position to the upstream position causes the rod-shaped valve body to seat on the upstream seating portion due to the sliding resistance between the protrusion and the guide portion, thereby changing the sliding resistance and generating the maximum sliding resistance. 、 The guide portion has an enlarged diameter portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rod-shaped valve body so as to increase in diameter toward the upstream side in the axial direction, The protrusion is slidable relative to the enlarged diameter portion by the movement of the operating member from the initial position to the upstream position. Discharge container.

[0008] [2] The discharge container according to [1], wherein no sliding resistance occurs at the initial position, and the movement of the operating member from the initial position to the upstream position generates the sliding resistance.

[0010] [ 3 ] The operating member comprises a stem, a piston guide fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the stem, and an annular piston held by the stem and the piston guide so as to be axially movable relative to each other and slidable in the axial direction relative to the cylinder. The downstream backflow suppression section is formed by the piston and a downstream seating section provided on the piston guide for seating the piston, [1] or [2] A dispensing container as described in any one of the following.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a discharge container that can easily achieve smooth discharge from the start of operation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the discharge container according to an embodiment of the present invention with the operating member in the initial position. [Figure 2] It is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] [[ID=Z19]]FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the discharge container shown in FIG. 1 with the operating member in the upstream position. [Figure 4] It is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be exemplarily described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, in one embodiment of the present invention, a discharge container 1 includes a container body 3 that houses a content 2, and a discharger 4 attached to the container body 3. The discharger 4 includes a holding member 5 held by the container body 3, an operating member 6 that reciprocates with respect to the holding member 5 to discharge the content 2, a rod-shaped valve body 7, and a biasing member 8.

[0015] The holding member 5 includes a cylinder 9, a pipe 10, a retaining member 11, and a mounting cap 12. The operating member 6 includes a stem 13, a piston guide 14, a piston 15, and a nozzle head 16. The container body 3, the rod-shaped valve body 7, the cylinder 9, the pipe 10, the retaining member 11, the mounting cap 12, the stem 13, the piston guide 14, the piston 15, and the nozzle head 16 are each, for example, made of resin and are integrally molded. Note that these members are not limited to integrally molded products, and may be configured by assembling a plurality of members. The biasing member 8 is, for example, made of metal.

[0016] It should be noted that in the original text, there is no "図2" in the description, but in the translation, the relevant content is supplemented according to the normal logical order of the description of the drawings in the patent text. If there is an error in the original text, please check and correct it according to the actual situation.The container body 3 is formed by successively connecting a cylindrical mouth portion 3a, a body portion 3b, and a bottom portion (not shown) downward, and forms an internal space S for accommodating the liquid content 2 inside. Note that the mouth portion 3a may be configured to have a cylindrical shape other than a cylindrical shape, such as a square tube shape. The content 2 is a cleaning agent or a cosmetic, but is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, food, medicine, etc.

[0017] The cylinder 9 has a cylindrical shape and is held by the mounting cap 12 at the mouth portion 3a. The cylinder 9 includes a flange-shaped clamping portion 9a clamped by the upper surface of the mouth portion 3a and the mounting cap 12, a main body cylinder portion 9b continuous with the clamping portion 9a and having a central axis O as a stop, a step wall 9c continuous with the main body cylinder portion 9b and forming an annular upstream seating portion 17 on the upper surface, and an attachment cylinder portion 9d continuous with the step wall 9c and having a reduced diameter from the main body cylinder portion 9b via the step wall 9c. The upper end of the pipe 10 is attached to the attachment cylinder portion 9d by fitting. Note that the configuration without providing the pipe 10 may also be adopted. The mounting cap 12 is attached to the mouth portion 3a via a screw portion 18, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured to be attached via a locking structure other than the screw portion 18. A packing 19 is provided on the lower surface of the clamping portion, but is not limited thereto.

[0018] For the sake of convenience of explanation, the direction along the central axis O of the cylinder 9 (axial direction) is also referred to as the vertical direction, the direction from the bottom portion toward the mouth portion 3a along the central axis O is also referred to as the upward direction, and the opposite direction is also referred to as the downward direction. The radial direction means the direction along a straight line orthogonal to the central axis O, the circumferential direction means the direction around the central axis O, and the longitudinal section means the section including the central axis O.

[0019] The rod-shaped valve body 7 is disposed in the cylinder 9 so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction. By seating on the upstream seating portion 17 by moving downward, the backflow of the content 2 from the pump chamber 20 to the side of the internal space S of the container body 3 is suppressed. By moving upward and separating from the upstream seating portion 17, the inflow of the content 2 from the side of the internal space S of the container body 3 into the pump chamber 20 is allowed. Thus, the rod-shaped valve body 7 cooperates with the upstream seating portion 17 to form an upstream backflow prevention portion 21.

[0020] The operating member 6 includes a cylindrical stem 13 centered on a central axis O, a piston guide 14 fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the stem 13, an annular piston 15 held by the stem 13 and the piston guide 14 so as to be axially movable relative to each other and axially slidable with respect to the main body cylinder 9b of the cylinder 9, and a nozzle head 16 attached to the upper end of the stem 13 and having a discharge port 16a. The piston guide 14 has a bottomed cylindrical hollow shaft portion 14a that opens only to the upstream side in the axial direction (i.e., only downwards), and an extension portion 14b that extends radially outward from the lower part of the hollow shaft portion 14a.

[0021] A downstream seating portion 22 is formed on the upper surface of the extension 14b, on which the piston 15 is seated. The downstream seating portion 22 seats the piston 15 by moving upward relative to the piston 15, thereby suppressing the backflow of contents 2 into the pump chamber 20 from the discharge port 16a side, and moves downward relative to the piston 15, thereby allowing the outflow of contents 2 from the pump chamber 20 to the discharge port 16a side. In this way, the downstream seating portion 22 works in cooperation with the piston 15 to form a downstream backflow suppression portion 23.

[0022] A pump chamber 20 is formed inside the cylinder 9, with an upstream backflow suppression section 21 located at the upstream end of the pump chamber 20 and a downstream backflow suppression section 23 located at the downstream end of the pump chamber 20. The pump chamber 20 expands and contracts as the operating member 6 reciprocates axially relative to the cylinder 9.

[0023] Multiple vertical ribs 9e, each projecting radially inward, are arranged circumferentially at the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the main body cylinder 9b of the cylinder 9. The multiple vertical ribs 9e receive the lower end of a biasing member 8, which is composed of a compression spring that can expand and contract in the vertical direction. The extension 14b of the piston guide 14 receives the upper end of the biasing member 8.

[0024] The rod-shaped valve body 7 has a valve body portion 7a that can seat on the upstream seat portion 17, a rod-shaped portion 7b that is centered on the central axis O and extends upward from the valve body portion 7a, and a plurality of protruding portions 7c that are arranged in the circumferential direction and each protrudes radially outward from the valve body portion 7a. The rod-shaped valve body 7 is vertically movable between an upward limit position where the plurality of protruding portions 7c abut against the lower end of the biasing member 8 and the valve body portion 7a is separated from the upstream seat portion 17, and a downward limit position where the valve body portion 7a is seated on the upstream seat portion 17.

[0025] The operating member 6 reciprocates axially between an initial position (the position shown in Figure 1) and an upstream position (the position shown in Figure 3) relative to the cylinder 9 by a downward pushing operation against the biasing force of the biasing member 8 on the nozzle head 16. The retaining member 11 is attached to the upper end of the cylinder 9 and restricts the operating member 6 from coming out of the cylinder 9 beyond the initial position.

[0026] A protrusion 24 is provided intermittently in the circumferential direction at the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the hollow shaft portion 14a of the piston guide 14. In addition, the outer circumferential surface of the rod portion 7b of the rod-shaped valve body 7 constitutes a guide portion 25 that guides the protrusion 24 in the axial direction during the reciprocating motion of the operating member 6 relative to the cylinder 9. The movement of the operating member 6 from the initial position to the upstream position causes the rod-shaped valve body 7 to seat on the upstream seat portion 17 due to the sliding resistance between the protrusion 24 and the guide portion 25.

[0027] Therefore, the operating member 6 reciprocates between its initial position and its upstream position when pushed down, causing the contents 2 inside the container body 3 to pass sequentially through the upstream backflow suppression unit 21, the pump chamber 20, and the downstream backflow suppression unit 23 before being discharged from the discharge port 16a. The operating member 6 discharges the contents 2 in a continuous flow, but is not limited to this; it may also be configured to discharge in a mist or foam, for example.

[0028] In this embodiment, the guide portion 25 has an enlarged diameter portion 25a formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rod-shaped valve body 7 so as to expand in diameter toward the upstream side (i.e., toward the downward side) in the axial direction. The protrusion 24 is slidable relative to the enlarged diameter portion 25a by the movement of the operating member 6 from the initial position to the upstream position. Therefore, the movement of the operating member 6 from the initial position to the upstream position changes the sliding resistance between the protrusion 24 and the guide portion 25, and generates the maximum sliding resistance (i.e., the sliding resistance is maximum after the protrusion 24 reaches the upper end 25b of the enlarged diameter portion 25a).

[0029] With this configuration, even if the protrusion 24 is plastically deformed in a way that causes it to collapse due to contact with the guide portion 25 over time while the operating member 6 is in its initial position during distribution or storage, the rod-shaped valve body 7 can be operated by the sliding resistance between the protrusion 24 and the enlarged diameter portion 25a, thus easily achieving smooth discharge from the initial movement.

[0030] In particular, it is preferable that the protrusion 24 is configured such that it does not generate sliding resistance against the guide portion 25 when the operating member 6 is in its initial position, as shown in Figure 2 (that is, the inner diameter of the protrusion 24 is larger than or equal to the outer diameter of the guide portion 25 above the upper end 25b of the enlarged diameter portion 25a). In other words, it is preferable that there is no sliding resistance between the protrusion 24 and the guide portion 25 when the operating member 6 is in its initial position, but that such sliding resistance is generated when the operating member 6 is in a position upstream of the initial position.

[0031] With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the plastic deformation of the protrusion 24 in the direction of crushing due to contact with the guide portion 25 over time while the operating member 6 is in its initial position during distribution and storage, thereby making it easier to achieve smooth discharge from the initial movement.

[0032] Furthermore, the device may be configured such that sliding resistance occurs between the protrusion 24 and the guide portion 25 when the operating member 6 is in its initial position, and this sliding resistance becomes greater when the operating member 6 is in a position upstream of the initial position.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the hollow shaft portion 14a of the piston guide 14 is a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens only to the upstream side in the axial direction. With this configuration, even if swelling occurs in a component (especially the piston guide 14 or the rod valve body 7) that creates a relatively large gap between the inner circumferential surface of the hollow shaft portion 14a and the outer circumferential surface of the rod portion 7b of the rod valve body 7 due to the composition of the contents or the selection of materials for each component, it is possible to suppress the flow of contents that has passed through the downstream backflow suppression portion 23 from returning to the pump chamber 20 through the gap, thereby easily realizing a stable pump function.

[0034] The materials used to form the piston guide 14 and the rod-shaped valve body 7 are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the piston guide 14 be made of polyolefin such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and the rod-shaped valve body 7 be made of polyester such as polybutylene terephthalate.

[0035] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from its essence.

[0036] Therefore, the discharge container 1 of the above-described embodiment is changeable as long as it is a discharge container 1 that includes a container body 3, a cylinder 9 held in the container body 3, an operating member 6 that reciprocates axially between an initial position and an upstream position relative to the cylinder 9 by operation, thereby discharging the contents 2 in the container body 3 by sequentially passing them through an upstream backflow suppression section 21, a pump chamber 20, and a downstream backflow suppression section 23, and a rod-shaped valve body 7 that cooperates with an upstream seating section 17 provided on the cylinder 9 to form an upstream backflow suppression section 21, with one of the operating member 6 and the rod-shaped valve body 7 having a protrusion 24, and the other of the operating member 6 and the rod-shaped valve body 7 having a guide section 25 that guides the protrusion 24 axially during the reciprocating movement of the operating member 6 relative to the cylinder 9, and the movement of the operating member 6 from the initial position to the upstream position causes the rod-shaped valve body 7 to seat on the upstream seating section 17 due to the sliding resistance between the protrusion 24 and the guide section 25, thereby changing the sliding resistance and generating the maximum sliding resistance.

[0037] For example, the configuration is not limited to providing the protrusion 24 on the inner circumferential surface of the piston guide 14 and the guide portion 25 on the outer circumferential surface of the rod-shaped valve body 7. For example, the configuration may be such that the protrusion 24 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the rod-shaped valve body 7 and the guide portion 25 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the piston guide 14. The hollow shaft portion 14a of the piston guide 14 is not limited to having a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens only on the upstream side in the axial direction. For example, it may be configured to have a cylindrical shape that opens on both sides in the axial direction. The operating member 6 is not limited to a configuration in which the piston 15 and piston guide 14 form a downstream backflow suppression portion 23. The biasing member 8 is not limited to a configuration in which it is placed inside the pump chamber 20. The operating member 6 is not limited to a push-down head type having a nozzle head 16 that receives a push-down operation. For example, it may be configured to have a trigger type having a trigger that receives a pulling operation to make the operating member 6 reciprocate relative to the cylinder 9. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 Discharge container 2 Contents 3. Container body 3a Mouth 3b Torso 4 Dispenser 5. Retaining member 6. Operating member 7. Rod-shaped valve body 7a Valve body 7b Rod-shaped part 7c protrusion 8. Biasing member 9 cylinders 9a Clamping part 9b Main body tube 9c step wall 9d Mounting tube 9e Vertical Rib 10 pipes 11 Retaining member 12. Mounting cap 13 Stem 14 Piston Guide 14a Hollow shaft part 14b Extension 15 pistons 16 Nozzle Heads 16a Discharge port 17 Upstream seating area 18 Threaded part 19 Gasket 20 Pump Room 21 Upstream backflow suppression section 22 Downstream seating section 23 Downstream backflow suppression section 24 Convex part 25 Information Department 25a Expanded diameter part 25b Upper end of the enlarged diameter section O center axis S interior space

Claims

1. The container body and A cylinder held in the container body, An operating member that, through operation, reciprocates axially between an initial position and an upstream position relative to the cylinder, thereby discharging the contents of the container body by sequentially passing them through the upstream backflow suppression section, the pump chamber, and the downstream backflow suppression section, The cylinder has a rod-shaped valve body that cooperates with an upstream seating portion to form the upstream backflow suppression portion, The operating member and the rod-shaped valve body have a protrusion, The other of the operating member and the rod-shaped valve body has a guide portion that guides the protrusion in the axial direction when the operating member reciprocates relative to the cylinder, The movement of the operating member from the initial position to the upstream position causes the rod-shaped valve body to seat on the upstream seating portion due to the sliding resistance between the protrusion and the guide portion, changing the sliding resistance and generating the maximum sliding resistance. The guide portion has an enlarged diameter portion formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rod-shaped valve body so as to increase in diameter toward the upstream side in the axial direction, A discharge container wherein the protrusion is slidable relative to the enlarged diameter portion by the movement of the operating member from the initial position to the upstream position.

2. The discharge container according to claim 1, wherein no sliding resistance occurs when the operating member is in the initial position, and sliding resistance occurs when the operating member is on the upstream side of the initial position.

3. The operating member comprises a stem, a piston guide fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the stem, and an annular piston held by the stem and the piston guide so as to be axially movable relative to each other and slidable in the axial direction relative to the cylinder. The discharge container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the downstream backflow suppression portion is formed by the piston and a downstream seating portion provided on the piston guide for seating the piston.

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