Dispenser device

Abstract

To provide a dispenser device which can assemble a container and a dispenser body at a desired position, with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A dispenser device 1 includes a container 2, a dispenser body 4, a first joining member 6, and a second joining member 8. The first joining member includes a wall part 63 where a first female screw 63c which is screwed with a first male screw 22b provided at a spout part 22 of the container is provided on the inner periphery. The second joining member includes: a cylindrical part 81 where a second male screw 81b which is screwed with a second female screw 44f provided at a connection part 44 of the dispenser body is provided on the outer periphery; and a protrusion part 83 which protrudes along a center axis of the cylindrical part from one end of the cylindrical part in the direction in which the central axis of the cylindrical part extends. In a case where the center axis of the cylindrical part is substantially matched with the center axis of the spout 22a in the spout, the protrusion part is positioned being separated from the inner peripheral surface 22e of the spout part, and does not interfere with the inner peripheral surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a dispenser device in which a dispenser body is attached to a container to supply a liquid in the container.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, for example, a dispenser device in which a container containing a liquid such as a disinfectant or a cleaning liquid and a dispenser body for manually or automatically discharging the liquid are integrated and used is known. The container has its mouth (liquid outlet) sealed with a cap, and the cap is removed from the container for use. The dispenser body has a connection port with the mouth of the container from which the cap has been removed, and is integrated with the container by attaching the connection port to the mouth of the container, and discharges the liquid sucked up from the container from the discharge port.

[0003] For example, an external thread for attaching a cap is formed on the outer periphery of the mouth (outlet) of the container, and an internal thread that engages with the external thread of the outlet is formed on the inner periphery of the connection port of the dispenser portion. Thus, the internal thread of the connection port is screwed onto the external thread of the outlet, and the dispenser body can be assembled with the container by rotating the dispenser body with respect to the container. Also, when the diameter of the connection port is larger than the diameter of the outlet, or when the external thread of the outlet and the internal thread of the connection port do not engage, the container and the dispenser body are assembled via a predetermined attachment. The attachment is an annular member having a diameter and thread shape that can be assembled to both the outlet and the connection port with different diameters and thread shapes.

[0004] When the container and the dispenser body are assembled by screwing in this way, there is a possibility that the discharge port of the dispenser body cannot be aligned with a desired position of the container. For example, the position of the discharge port may not match well on the front side in terms of the design of a cylindrical container or one of the main side surfaces of a rectangular tube-shaped container. In this case, it takes time such as appropriately adjusting the screwing position of the external thread and the internal thread and then screwing them in.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3234901 Gazette [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The present invention was made based on this, and its purpose is to provide a dispenser device that allows the container and the dispenser body to be assembled at a desired position with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the embodiment, the dispenser device comprises a container, a dispenser body, a first coupling member, and a second coupling member. The container has a liquid-holding section and a substantially cylindrical dispensing section that is continuous with the liquid-holding section and dispenses the liquid from a spout. The dispenser body has an annular coupling section that connects to the spout at a connection port that opens with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the spout centered on a predetermined central axis, and draws up the liquid from the liquid-holding section and dispenses it. The first coupling member is annular, positioned on the outer circumference of the dispensing section, and connects the container and the dispenser body. The second coupling member is annular, positioned on the inner circumference of the coupling section, and connects the container and the dispenser body. The dispensing section has a first male thread on its outer circumference. The first coupling member has a wall section with a first female thread on its inner circumference that screws into the first male thread. The connecting portion has a second female thread on its inner circumference. The second connecting member has a cylindrical portion having a second male thread on its outer circumference that screws into the second female thread, and a projection that protrudes from one end of the cylindrical portion along the central axis of the cylindrical portion in the direction in which the central axis of the cylindrical portion extends. When the central axis of the cylindrical portion is approximately aligned with the central axis of the spout within the spout, the projection is positioned away from the inner surface of the spout and does not interfere with the inner surface. The first coupling member has a first flange portion that protrudes radially inward from one end of the wall portion. The connecting portion has a rib on the periphery of the connecting port that abuts against the wall portion of the first coupling member when the container and the dispenser body are coupled by the first coupling member and the second coupling member. The first flange portion has a rib that abuts against the periphery of the connecting port when the container and the dispenser body are coupled by the first coupling member and the second coupling member. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing a dispenser device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the dispenser device broken down into its main components. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the dispenser body, first coupling member, and second coupling member of the dispenser device. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view including the central axis, schematically showing the dispenser device. [Figure 5] This is a schematic perspective view showing the dispenser device according to the second embodiment, disassembled into its main elements. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, a dispenser device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. A dispenser device is a device for dispensing a predetermined amount of liquid, such as disinfectant or cleaning solution, manually or automatically. In this embodiment, as an example, a dispenser device that automatically dispenses such liquid will be described. However, the dispenser device may also be configured to dispense the liquid manually, for example, by a hand pump mechanism.

[0010] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the dispenser device 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the dispenser device 1 shown in Figure 1 disassembled into its main elements. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the dispenser body, first coupling member, and second coupling member of the dispenser device 1 shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view including the central axis showing the dispenser device 1 shown in Figure 1.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the dispenser device 1 comprises, as its main elements, a container 2, a dispenser body 4, a first connecting member 6, and a second connecting member 8.

[0012] Container 2 has a container section 21 and a dispensing section 22. The container section 21 is a structure having a space inside that can contain liquid, and is made of a material such as resin or metal that will not alter the liquid contained inside. The liquid contained in the container section 21 is a liquid, gel, or foam in the environment in which the dispenser device 1 is used, and is a liquid with various functions and effects, such as a hand sanitizer or washing solution.

[0013] In this embodiment, the container portion 21 has an outer shape that is approximately hexahedral, having a bottom surface 21a, four main side surfaces 21b to 21e rising from the bottom surface 21a, and a top surface 21f that is continuous from these side surfaces 21b to 21e to the dispensing portion 22. The top surface 21f tapers from the continuous portion with the side surfaces 21b to 21e to the continuous portion with the dispensing portion 22. That is, the container portion 21 is approximately rectangular parallelepiped, tapering (narrowing) towards the dispensing portion 22. One of the four side surfaces 21b to 21e defines the front of the container portion 21, or more precisely, the front of the container 2, and the surface opposite to that one defines the back of the container 2. For example, side surface 21b is the front, and side surface 21d is the back. Note that the outer shape of the container portion 21 is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the external shape may be roughly cylindrical, roughly elliptical, polygonal with five or more sides, or roughly circular.

[0014] The dispensing section 22 is a substantially cylindrical portion continuous with the top surface 21f of the container section 21, and corresponds to the upper part of the container 2 when the bottom surface 21a is considered the lower part of the container 2. The dispensing section 22 has a spout 22a in the inner space of the cylindrical portion for dispensing the liquid contained in the container section 21. The liquid contained in the container section 21 can be dispensed from the spout 22a. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the spout 22a is a substantially cylindrical space centered on a predetermined central axis A, and has a substantially constant diameter (dimension shown as D22 in Figure 4) over the entire length in the direction in which the central axis A extends. The diameter D22 of the spout 22a corresponds to the cross-sectional dimension of the inner circumferential surface 22e of the dispensing section 22. However, the diameter of the spout 22a does not have to be constant over the entire length. In this embodiment, as an example, the direction in which the central axis A extends (hereinafter referred to as the axial direction) is defined as the vertical direction (up and down direction). However, the axial direction can also be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. In the axial direction, the spout 22a is open with one end (the lower end in Figure 4) facing the inside of the container 2 and the other end (the upper end in Figure 4) facing the outside of the container 2.

[0015] The dispensing section 22 has a male thread (the first male thread in the dispenser device 1) 22b on its outer circumference. The male thread 22b is provided on the outer surface 22c of the dispensing section 22 and is designed to be screwed into the female thread (the first female thread in the dispenser device 1) 63c of the first connecting member 6, which will be described later.

[0016] The dispenser body 4 draws up the liquid contained in the container 21 and dispenses the liquid to supply it to the user of the dispenser device 1. To perform this function, the dispenser device 1 is equipped with, for example, a power supply, a pump, a sensor, and a control board (all not shown). The power supply is an element that supplies driving power to the pump, sensor, control board, etc., and is a type of battery such as a primary battery or a secondary battery. The pump is driven by the power supplied from the power supply and draws up the liquid contained in the container 21. The sensor detects the user's fingers, etc., for example, by infrared light. The control board, for example, when the sensor detects the user's fingers, drives the pump to draw up a predetermined amount of liquid and dispense it. These power supply, pump, sensor, control board, etc. are housed in the housing 41.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the dispenser body 4 is equipped with indicator lamps 41a that show, for example, the remaining power level and the operating status of the pump, and an operation button 41b for turning the power on and off. The indicator lamps 41a are positioned in the housing 41 so that they can be illuminated to the outside, are controlled by a control board, and are powered by a power supply to illuminate as needed. The operation button 41b is positioned in the housing 41 so that it can be operated from the outside.

[0018] As shown in Figure 3, the dispenser body 4 is equipped with a suction tube 42 for drawing liquid from the container 21 with a pump. One end of the suction tube 42 is connected to the pump, and the other end is connected to a suction tube (not shown). The suction tube is inserted into the liquid contained in the container 21 through the outlet 22a of the dispensing section 22.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the dispenser main body 4 has a discharge portion 43 that discharges the liquid sucked up by the pump. In the illustrated example, the discharge portion 43 is in a form that protrudes in a nozzle shape with respect to the housing 41. However, as long as the liquid can be appropriately discharged onto a discharge target such as a user's finger, the form of the discharge portion 43 is not limited to the illustrated example. As shown in FIG. 3, the discharge portion 43 discharges the liquid from a discharge port 43a that opens downward in a substantially vertical direction. The discharge port 43a is connected to the other end of a liquid discharge pipe (not shown) whose one end is connected to the pump. In the vicinity of the discharge port 43a, a detection portion 43b of the sensor that detects a user's finger or the like is arranged facing outward.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the dispenser main body 4 includes a connection portion 44 with the container 2. The connection portion 44 is a portion in the dispenser main body 4 that is connected to the pouring portion 22 of the container 2 via a first coupling member 6 and a second coupling member 8. In the illustrated example, the connection portion 44 is provided at the lower portion in the axial direction of the dispenser main body 4. The connection portion 44 has a connection port 44a that is connected to the pouring port 22a, and forms an annular shape surrounding the connection port 44a. The connection port 44a is an opening having a diameter (dimension indicated by D44 in FIG. 4) smaller than the diameter D22 of the pouring port 22a. The diameter D44 of the connection port 44a is the pitch dimension of the thread of an internal thread 44f described later. The connection portion 44 is arranged such that the central axis of the connection port 44a substantially coincides with the central axis A.

[0021] The connecting portion 44 is provided with two ribs 44b and 44c. Of the two ribs 44b and 44c, one rib (hereinafter referred to as the outer rib) 44b protrudes axially downward from the outer peripheral edge of the connecting portion 44 over the entire circumference. In contrast, the other rib (hereinafter referred to as the inner rib) 44c protrudes axially downward over the entire circumference inside the outer rib 44b. As a result, a groove 44d is formed over the entire circumference between the outer rib 44b and the inner rib 44c, and a step 44e is formed over the entire circumference between the inner rib 44c and the inner peripheral edge of the connecting portion 44. However, the form of the connecting portion 44 is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the connecting portion 44 may be in a form in which the ribs 44b and 44c, the groove 44d, and the step 44e are omitted, and the connection port 44a is surrounded by an annular flat surface without such irregularities.

[0022] The connecting portion 44 has an internal thread (the second internal thread in the dispenser device 1) 44f on its inner circumference. The internal thread 44f is provided on the inner circumferential surface 44g of the connecting portion 44 and is capable of being screwed with an external thread (the second external thread in the dispenser device 1) 81b of a second coupling member 8 described later.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the first coupling member 6 is an annular member that is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the dispensing portion 22 and couples the container 2 and the dispenser body 4. That is, the first coupling member 6 is an attachment (outer attachment) disposed on the outside among the two coupling members that couple the container 2 and the dispenser body 4. The first coupling member 6 is disposed such that its central axis substantially coincides with the central axis A. The first coupling member 6 has a bottom portion 61, two wall portions 62 and 63, and a flange portion (the first flange portion) 64.

[0024] The bottom portion 61 is a flattened, annular continuous section. The bottom portion 61 is provided with ribs 61a that project downward in the axial direction from the inner peripheral edge along its entire circumference. Of the two wall portions 62 and 63, one wall portion (hereinafter referred to as the outer wall portion) 62 rises upward in the axial direction from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom portion 61 along its entire circumference. In contrast, the other wall portion (hereinafter referred to as the inner wall portion) 63 rises upward in the axial direction from the inner peripheral edge of the bottom portion 61 along its entire circumference. The upright heights of the outer wall portion 62 and the inner wall portion 63 are approximately the same. That is, the end face 62a of the outer wall portion 62 and the end face 63a of the inner wall portion 63 are approximately the same height and continuous along their entire circumference. The height is the shortest distance from the bottom portion 61 in the axial direction. The space enclosed by the inner wall portion 63 is a through hole 63b centered on a predetermined central axis. The first connecting member 6 is positioned such that the central axis of the through hole 63b substantially coincides with the central axis A. The suction tube (not shown) described above is inserted through the through hole 63b.

[0025] The flange portion 64 protrudes radially inward from the upright end of the inner wall portion 63 along its entire circumference. The flange portion 64 is provided with ribs 64a that protrude upward in the axial direction from the inner periphery along its entire circumference. In the illustrated example, the first connecting member has a space enclosed by the bottom portion 61, the outer wall portion 62, and the inner wall portion 63, but the first connecting member may be solid without having such a space.

[0026] The inner wall portion 63 has a female thread (the first female thread in the dispenser device 1) 63c on its inner circumference. The female thread 63c is provided on the inner circumferential surface 63d of the inner wall portion 63 and is designed to be screwable with the male thread (the first male thread in the dispenser device 1) 22b of the dispensing portion 22. When the female thread 63c of the inner wall portion 63 is screwed with the male thread 22b of the dispensing portion 22, the inner circumferential surface 64b of the flange portion 64 is in contact with or slightly separated from the outer circumferential surface 81c of the cylindrical portion 81 of the second connecting member 8, which will be described later. In other words, when the female thread 63c is screwed with the male thread 22b, the flange portion 64 protrudes radially inward from the upright end of the inner wall portion 63 with dimensions such that the inner circumferential surface 64b can contact the outer circumferential surface 81c of the cylindrical portion 81. In other words, the inner diameter of the flange portion 64 is set to be greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 81.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the second connecting member 8 is an annular member positioned on the inner circumference of the connecting portion 44 and connecting the container 2 and the dispenser body 4. In other words, the second connecting member 8 is the inner attachment (inner attachment) of the two connecting members that connect the container 2 and the dispenser body 4. The second connecting member 8 has a cylindrical portion 81, a flange portion 82 (second flange portion), and a projection portion 83. The space enclosed by the cylindrical portion 81 is a through hole 81a centered on a predetermined central axis. The second connecting member 8 is positioned so that the central axis of the through hole 81a substantially coincides with the central axis A. The suction tube (not shown) described above is inserted through the through hole 81a.

[0028] The cylindrical portion 81 has a male thread (the second male thread in the dispenser device 1) 81b on its outer circumference. The male thread 81b is provided on the outer circumferential surface 81c of the cylindrical portion 81 and is designed to be screwed into the female thread (the second female thread in the dispenser device 1) 44f of the connecting portion 44. The flange portion 82 protrudes radially outward from the lower axial end of the cylindrical portion 81 over its entire circumference. When the male thread 81b of the cylindrical portion 81 is screwed into the female thread 44f of the connecting portion 44, the outer circumferential surface of the flange portion 82 is in contact with or slightly gaped against the continuous portion between the inner wall portion 63, which is part of the inner circumference of the first connecting member 6, and the flange portion 64. In other words, the flange portion 82 protrudes radially outward from the axial lower end of the cylindrical portion 81 with a dimensional dimension such that its outer surface can contact a part of the inner circumference of the first connecting member 6 when the male thread 81b is screwed into the female thread 44f. That is, the outer diameter of the flange portion 82 is greater than or equal to the inner diameter of the continuous portion between the inner wall portion 63 and the flange portion 64 of the first connecting member 6.

[0029] The flange portion 82 has a sealing portion 82a. When the second connecting member 8 connects the container 2 and the dispenser body 4 (as shown in Figure 4), the sealing portion 82a is in liquid-tight contact with the end portion (upper end portion in Figure 4) 22d of the dispensing portion 22 in the axial direction, in other words, the peripheral edge of the dispensing port 22a. In the illustrated example, the sealing portion 82a is a separate component such as a gasket like an O-ring and is fixed to the flange portion 82. However, the sealing portion 82a may also be a sealing layer (part of the flange portion 82) formed by surface processing of the flange portion 82, for example. Furthermore, depending on the state of the liquid contained in the container portion 21, it is also possible to omit the sealing portion 82a and have the flange portion 82 in direct contact with the end portion 22d of the dispensing portion 22. In other words, as long as the container portion 21 can be kept liquid-tight, the presence or absence of the sealing portion 82a is irrelevant.

[0030] The projection 83 is a projection that protrudes from the continuous portion between the cylindrical portion 81 and the flange portion 64. The projection 83 protrudes downward along the axial direction even further than the flange portion 82 at one end of the cylindrical portion 81 in the axial direction (the lower end in Figure 4). Furthermore, when the central axis of the through hole 81a of the cylindrical portion 81 is approximately aligned with the central axis A, the projection 83 does not interfere with the inner circumferential surface 22e of the dispensing portion 22, i.e., the dispensing outlet 22a. As a result, when the second connecting member is integrated with the dispenser body 4 and the first connecting member 6 as described later, the projection 83 can be accessed at the connection port 44a of the connection portion 44 of the dispenser body 4, and the second connecting member 8 can be rotated relative to the dispenser body 4 and the first connecting member 6, starting from the projection 83.

[0031] In the illustrated example, the projection 83 is flattened along a plane defined by the direction in which the central axis of the cylindrical portion 81 extends and the radial direction. The direction in which the central axis of the cylindrical portion 81 extends is the axial direction (the direction in which the central axis A extends). In this embodiment, as an example, two projections 83a and 83b are provided. These projections 83a and 83b are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 81, in this case at intervals of 180°. The distance between the outer edges 84a and 84b of the projections 83a and 83b (dimension shown as D83 in Figure 4) is smaller than the diameter D22 of the spout 22a. Therefore, when the central axis of the second connecting member 8 is approximately aligned with the central axis A, the projections 83a and 83b are positioned away from the inner circumferential surface 22e of the spout 22 (the state shown in Figure 4).

[0032] However, the spacing between these protrusions 83a and 83b in the circumferential direction is not limited to this and may be arbitrary. Also, the number of protrusions 83 may be one or three or more. For example, a single flat protrusion connecting the inner edges of protrusions 83a and 83b may be provided on the cylindrical portion 81. In any case, when the central axis of the second connecting member 8 is approximately aligned with the central axis A, the protrusions 83 should be positioned so as not to interfere with the inner circumference of the dispensing portion 22. Furthermore, although the protrusions 83 are flat in the illustrated example, they may also be cylindrical or prism-shaped, for example. That is, the protrusions 83 should be in a form that is accessible at the connection port 44a when integrating the second connecting member 8 with the dispenser body 4 and the first connecting member 6, and that allows an external force to be applied to rotate the second connecting member 8 with respect to the dispenser body 4 and the first connecting member 6.

[0033] Next, an example of the procedure for connecting the container 2 and the dispenser body 4 using the first connecting member 6 and the second connecting member 8 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0034] To connect the container 2 and the dispenser body 4, first, the dispenser body 4 and the first connecting member 6 are placed on top of each other. At that time, the dispenser body 4 and the first connecting member 6 are placed on top of each other so that the ribs 44b, 44c, grooves 44d, and steps 44e of the connecting portion 44 face each other, with the end face 62a of the outer wall portion 62 and the end face 63a of the inner wall portion 63.

[0035] With the dispenser body 4 and the first connecting member 6 stacked in this manner, the second connecting member 8 is inserted from the cylindrical part 81 side into the through hole 63b of the first connecting member 6, and then into the connection port 44a of the connecting part 44.

[0036] In this state, the fingers are hooked onto the two protrusions 83a and 83b, and the second connecting member 8 is rotated around the central axis A relative to the overlapping dispenser body 4 and the first connecting member 6, thereby screwing the male screw 81b into the female screw 44f. This allows the first connecting member 6 to be pushed upward toward the dispenser body 4. The male screw 81b is then screwed into the female screw 44f until the flange portion 82 abuts against the flange portion 64 of the first connecting member 6 and the flange portion 64 is sandwiched between the flange portion 64 and the step 44e of the connecting portion 44. At this time, the end face 62a of the outer wall portion 62 abuts against the outer rib 44b, the end face 63a of the inner wall portion 63 abuts against the inner rib 44c, and the rib 64a abuts against the step 44e. In other words, the flange portion 64 is interposed between the step 44e, which is the peripheral edge of the connecting opening 44a, and the flange portion 82.

[0037] This integrates the dispenser body 4, the first connecting member 6, and the second connecting member 8. Then, the protrusions 83a and 83b of the second connecting member 8 are inserted into the spout 22a. In other words, the protrusions 83a and 83b are positioned inside the spout 22a.

[0038] While maintaining this state, the first connecting member 6, which is integrated with the dispenser body 4 and the second connecting member 8, is rotated around the central axis A relative to the dispensing section 22, or more precisely, the container 2, and the female thread 63c is screwed onto the male thread 22b. This makes it possible to push down the integrated dispenser body 4, the first connecting member 6, and the second connecting member 8 toward the container 2. As a result, the sealing portion 82a of the flange portion 82 can be pushed down toward the end portion 22d of the dispensing section 22.

[0039] Then, the female thread 63c is screwed onto the male thread 22b until the sealing portion 82a abuts against the end portion 22d and is tightly sealed. In this state, the flange portion 82, together with the sealing portion 82a, is sandwiched between the flange portion 64 of the first connecting member 6 and the end portion 22d of the dispensing portion 22, and the sealing portion 82a is tightly sealed to the end portion 22d in a liquid-tight manner. In other words, the flange portion 82 is interposed between the flange portion 64 and the end portion 22d, which is the peripheral edge of the dispensing port 22a.

[0040] When screwing the female thread 63c onto the male thread 22b in this manner, the dispenser body 4 and the second connecting member 8 are not screwed together with the first connecting member 6. Instead, the end faces 62a, 63a and the ribs 44b, 44c are in contact, and the rib 64a is in contact with the step 44e. Therefore, the dispenser body 4 can be rotated around the central axis A relative to the container 2, which is screwed and fixed to the first connecting member 6. Thus, the two can be assembled while making fine adjustments to the position of the dispenser body 4 relative to the container 2. The connecting part 44 may be in the form of an annular flat surface surrounding the connecting opening 44a, but by having a recessed shape with ribs 44b, 44c, grooves 44d, and a step 44e, the contact area with the first connecting member 6 can be reduced. Therefore, compared to the case where it is a flat shape, it becomes easier to rotate the dispenser body 4 relative to the container 2, which is screwed and fixed to the first connecting member 6.

[0041] In other words, according to this embodiment, the container 2 and the dispenser body 4 can be assembled at a desired position using a simple configuration with the first connecting member 6 and the second connecting member 8. For example, the container 2 and the dispenser body 4 can be assembled by aligning the position of the discharge port 43a of the discharge portion 43 with the side surface 21b of the container portion 21 that defines the front of the container 2. Also, for example, even if the container is cylindrical and has a predetermined design front, the container and the dispenser body 4 can be assembled by aligning the position of the discharge port 43a with the front. In this case, since there is no need to particularly adjust the screwing position of the female thread 63c and the male thread 22b, the container 2 and the dispenser body 4 can be smoothly assembled at a desired position.

[0042] Furthermore, since the second connecting member 8 has protrusions 83a and 83b, no additional tools are required when screwing the male thread 81b into the female thread 44f. Therefore, by hooking fingers onto the two protrusions 83a and 83b, the second connecting member 8 can be rotated around the central axis A relative to the dispenser body 4 and the first connecting member 6. In other words, the male thread 81b can be easily screwed into the female thread 44f without any tools. For this reason, even if the diameter D44 of the connection port 44a is smaller than the diameter D22 of the spout 22a, and the female thread 44f and the male thread 22b cannot be directly screwed together, the container 2 and the dispenser body 4 can be assembled via the first connecting member 6 and the second connecting member 8. Similarly, even if the female thread 44f and the male thread 22b have screw shapes that do not allow for direct screwing, the container 2 and the dispenser body 4 can be assembled via the first connecting member 6 and the second connecting member 8. Therefore, the degree of freedom in assembling the container 2 and the dispenser body 4 can be increased.

[0043] Conversely, the male thread 81b and female thread 44f can be loosened without tools, and the second connecting member 8 can be easily removed from the connection part 44. In other words, the first connecting member 6 can be replaced as needed. Therefore, by providing a first connecting member and a second connecting member that correspond to various containers having a spout diameter different from the spout diameter D22 of the spout 22a, the dispenser body 4 can be assembled to various containers having spout diameters different from those of the spout.

[0044] Furthermore, when screwing the female thread 63c of the first connecting member 6 onto the male thread 22b of the dispensing part 22, the protrusions 83a and 83b are inserted into the dispensing opening 22a. As a result, the protrusions 83a and 83b act as guides, stabilizing the position of the integrated dispenser body 4, the first connecting member 6, and the second connecting member 8 relative to the container 2. This makes the screwing operation easier, allowing the container 2 and the dispenser body 4 to be assembled smoothly.

[0045] The protrusions 83a and 83b inserted into the spout 22a are positioned away from the inner circumferential surface 22e of the dispensing section 22 and do not interfere with the inner circumferential surface 22e. Therefore, the protrusions 83a and 83b do not affect the airtightness between the sealing section 82a of the flange section 82 and the end portion 22d of the dispensing section 22. As a result, the reduction in the liquid-tightness of the container 2 due to the protrusions 83a and 83b can be suppressed.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, the dispenser device 1 was described as comprising a container 2, a dispenser body 4, a first connecting member 6, and a second connecting member 8 as its main elements. However, it is also possible to create a dispenser device with other components added. For example, as shown in the second embodiment in Figure 5, the dispenser device 10 may be equipped with a carrying handle 11. The second embodiment will be described below.

[0047] (Second embodiment) Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing the dispenser device 10 according to the second embodiment, disassembled into its main elements. In the second embodiment, the basic configuration of the dispenser device 10 is the same as that of the dispenser device 1 according to the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4. Therefore, in the second embodiment, for each component of the dispenser device 10 that is the same as or similar to that of the dispenser device 1, the configuration of the dispenser device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 4 will be referred to, and the same reference numerals will be used, omitting further explanation.

[0048] As shown in Figure 5, the dispenser device 10 comprises, as its main elements, a container 2, a dispenser body 4, a first connecting member 6, a second connecting member 8, and a handle 11. The handle 11 is a component that allows the dispenser device 10 to be carried, and has a gripping portion 12 and a mounting portion 13.

[0049] The gripping portion 12 is the part that is gripped by the user or installer of the dispenser device 10 when moving the dispenser device 10, for example. In the illustrated example, the gripping portion 12 has a form in which a first portion 12a and a second portion 12b are continuous in a substantially L-shape. The first portion 12a is the part that is continuous with the mounting portion 13 and extends substantially parallel to the bottom surface 21a of the container portion 21. The second portion 12b is the part that is continuous with the first portion 12a and extends substantially perpendicular to the first portion 12a.

[0050] The mounting portion 13 is a part that is attached to the container 2 and dispenser body 4 of the dispenser device 10 in order to integrate the handle 11 with the dispenser device 10. The mounting portion 13 is an annular shape with an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the housing 41 of the dispenser body 4 and the outer diameter of the outer wall portion 62 of the first connecting member 6. The mounting portion 13 is continuous with the gripping portion 12 in part of the annular portion. The mounting portion 13 has a through hole (not shown) centered on a predetermined central axis in the space enclosed by the annular portion. A suction tube (not shown) for drawing up the liquid contained in the container portion 21 is inserted through this through hole. The diameter of the through hole is greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 81 of the second connecting member 8.

[0051] The handle 11 is positioned such that the central axis of the through hole in the mounting portion 13 substantially coincides with the central axis A, and the mounting portion 13 is sandwiched between the dispenser body 4 and the first connecting member 6. In the handle 11 positioned in this manner, the second portion 12b of the gripping portion 12 faces, for example, the side surface 21d of the container portion 21 that defines the back surface of the container 2, at a predetermined distance.

[0052] In the dispenser device 10, when connecting the container 2 and the dispenser body 4, including the handle 11, the procedure in the first embodiment described above can be modified as follows. Specifically, when overlapping the dispenser body 4 and the first connecting member 6, the mounting portion 13 of the handle 11 is interposed between them. At this time, the ribs 44b, 44c, grooves 44d, and steps 44e of the connecting portion 44 are made to face one end face 13a of the mounting portion 13. The end face 62a of the outer wall portion 62 and the end face 63a of the inner wall portion 63 are made to face the other end face 13b of the mounting portion 13. With these facing each other in this manner, the dispenser body 4, the mounting portion 13, and the first connecting member 6 are overlapped.

[0053] The procedure after screwing in the second connecting member 8 can be carried out in accordance with the first embodiment described above. At that time, in addition to the position of the dispenser body 4 relative to the container 2, the position of the handle 11 is also finely adjusted while screwing the female thread 63c of the first connecting member 6 into the male thread 22b of the container 2. In this way, with a simple configuration using the first connecting member 6 and the second connecting member 8, the container 2 and dispenser body 4, as well as the container 2, dispenser body 4, and handle 11 can be assembled in the desired position. For example, the position of the discharge port 43a of the discharge part 43 can be aligned with the side surface 21b of the container part 21 that defines the front of the container 2, and the position of the gripping part 12 of the handle 11 can be aligned with the side surface 21d of the container part 21 that defines the back of the container 2, and the container 2 and dispenser body 4 can be assembled.

[0054] Other benefits are the same as in the first embodiment, such as easier assembly due to the absence of tools, increased flexibility in assembling the container 2 and the dispenser body 4, and suppression of a decrease in the liquid-tightness of the container 2. For example, the handle 11 can be easily replaced to match the container 2 or the dispenser body 4, even without tools.

[0055] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 1, 10…Dispenser device, 2…Container, 4…Dispenser body, 6…First connecting member, 8…Second connecting member, 11…Handle, 12…Grip part, 12a…First part, 12b…Second part, 13…Mounting part, 13a…One end face, 13b…Other end face, 21…Container part, 21a…Bottom face, 21b, 21c, 21d, 21e…Side faces, 21f…Top face, 22…Dispensing part, 22a…Dispensing outlet, 22b…Male thread (first male thread), 22c…Outer circumference, 22d…End, 22e…Inner circumference, 41…Housing, 43…Discharge part, 43a…Discharge port, 44…Connection part, 44a…Connection port, 44f…Female thread (second female thread), 44g… Circumferential surface, 61...Bottom, 61a...Rib, 62...Wall (outer wall), 62a...End face, 63...Wall (inner wall), 63a...End face, 63b...Through hole, 63c...Female thread (first female thread), 63d...Circumferential surface, 64...Flange (first flange), 64a...Rib, 64b...Circumferential surface, 81...Cylinder, 81a...Through hole, 81b...Male thread (second male thread), 81c...Circumferential surface, 82...Flange (second flange), 82a...Seal, 83, 83a, 83b...Protrusion, 84a, 84b...Outer edge, A...Central axis, D22...Diameter of the spout, D44...Diameter of the connection port, D83...Spacing between the outer edges of the protrusions.

Claims

1. A container having a body for containing a liquid and a substantially cylindrical dispensing section that is continuous with the body for dispensing the liquid from a spout, A dispenser body having an annular connection part that connects to the spout with a connection port that has a smaller diameter than the spout's opening centered on a predetermined central axis, and which draws up the liquid from the container and dispenses it, An annular first connecting member is positioned on the outer circumference of the dispensing portion and connects the container and the dispenser body, It comprises an annular second connecting member disposed on the inner circumference side of the connecting portion and connecting the container and the dispenser body, The dispensing portion has a first male screw on its outer circumference, The first connecting member has a wall portion having a first female thread on its inner circumference that engages with the first male thread, The aforementioned connecting portion has a second female thread on its inner circumference, The second connecting member has a cylindrical portion having a second male thread on its outer circumference that engages with the second female thread, and a projection that protrudes from one end of the cylindrical portion along the central axis of the cylindrical portion in the direction in which the central axis of the cylindrical portion extends. When the central axis of the cylindrical portion is aligned substantially with the central axis of the spout within the spout, the projection is positioned away from the inner circumferential surface of the spout and does not interfere with the inner circumferential surface. The first connecting member has a first flange portion that protrudes radially inward from one end of the wall portion, The connecting portion has a rib on the periphery of the connecting opening that contacts the wall portion of the first connecting member when the container and the dispenser body are connected by the first connecting member and the second connecting member. The first flange portion has ribs that contact the peripheral edge of the connection port when the container and the dispenser body are connected by the first and second connecting members. A dispenser device characterized by the following features.

2. The projection is flattened along a plane defined by the direction in which the central axis of the cylindrical portion extends and the radial direction of the cylindrical portion. The dispenser device according to feature 1.

3. The second connecting member has a second flange portion that protrudes radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion, The second flange portion is interposed between the first flange portion and the peripheral edge of the spout and has a sealing portion that is in liquid-tight contact with the peripheral edge of the spout. The dispenser device according to feature 2.

4. Multiple protrusions are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion. The dispenser device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The device further includes a handle that allows the container and the dispenser body, which are joined by the first and second connecting members, to be carried. The handle has a gripping portion for gripping when carrying the container and the dispenser body connected by the first and second connecting members, and a mounting portion that is continuous with the gripping portion and attached to the container and the dispenser body. The mounting portion is annular in shape, centered on a predetermined central axis, and has a through hole with a diameter greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion, and is positioned to be sandwiched between the dispenser body and the first connecting member. The dispenser device according to feature 4.

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