Discharge container equipped with an operating lever

Abstract

To provide a discharge container equipped with a control lever that can improve operability while preventing malfunction of the control lever and improving hygiene.SOLUTION: A discharge container which ejects content in a container 1 through a nozzle 33 by pressing a pressure head 31 mounted on the container 1 with an operating lever 5 includes an inner body 4 surrounding the pressure head 31, and an outer body 6 which is rotatable around the inner body 4. The inner body 4 has a front recess 45, a rear recess 46, and the control lever 5 which pushes in the pressure head 31 via a protrusion 52 provided on the underside by swinging the front recess 45 about the upper part thereof as a fulcrum. The outer body 6 has closing walls 65, 66 which close the front recess 45 and the rear recess 46 respectively, a protrusion 67 which restricts the movement of the control lever 5, and a front opening 61 and a rear opening 62 which open the front recess 45 and the rear recess 46 respectively, and which release the support at the free end 54 of the control lever 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a discharge container provided with an operation lever for ejecting contents such as drugs, chemicals, cosmetics, etc. through a nozzle by depressing a pressing head via the operation lever.

Background Art

[0002] As a container for containing contents such as drugs, etc., a discharge container provided with a pressing head is widely used. Such a container has a pump mechanism, and by depressing the pressing head downward, the pump mechanism is driven via a hollow stem, and the contents in the container are sucked, pressurized, compressed, and configured to be ejected from a nozzle provided on the pressing head. For example, in the discharge container of Patent Document 1, for the purpose of reducing the pressing force of fingers on the pressing head and improving the operability when the container is small (when the pressing head is small), an operation lever (pressing operation body) is attached to the pressing head, and the discharge operation is configured to be performed via the operation lever.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the discharge container with an operation lever attached to the pressing head, although the contents can be easily ejected with a small force by operating the operation lever, when carrying it in a bag or the like, there is a concern that the operation lever may unexpectedly enter an operating state and the contents may be accidentally ejected. In addition, since the nozzle is in an exposed state, adhesion of dust, etc. cannot be avoided, and there is also a problem in terms of hygiene. Therefore, conventionally, various mechanisms for preventing malfunction of the operation lever and mechanisms for preventing exposure of the nozzle have been studied.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a dispensing container equipped with an operating lever on the pressing head that improves operability, prevents malfunction of the operating lever, and improves hygiene. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The discharge container equipped with an operating lever, developed to achieve the above objective, is a discharge container that, by pressing a pressing head attached to the neck of the container with the operating lever, drives a pump suspended and held within the neck of the container, thereby sucking, pressurizing, and compressing the contents contained in the container body and ejecting them through the nozzle of the pressing head. The device comprises an annular inner body surrounding the pressing head and being fitted and held in a rotatable manner on the base cap of the pressing head, and an annular outer body surrounding the inner body and being rotatable along its circumference, The internal body includes a front recess and a rear recess, respectively, provided on the front and rear sides of the nozzle of the pressing head, and a lever-type operating lever positioned horizontally above the front and rear recesses, which swings with the upper part of the front recess as a pivot point to press the pressing head through a protruding part provided on its lower surface. The exterior body is characterized by having a closing wall that closes the front recess and the rear recess, respectively; a protruding end that supports the free end of the operating lever from below and restricts its movement; and a front opening and a rear opening that rotate along the circumference of the interior body to align with and communicate with the front recess and the rear recess, respectively, thereby opening the front recess and the rear recess, and releasing the support at the free end of the operating lever, thereby allowing its movement.

[0007] Furthermore, in a discharge container equipped with an operating lever of the present invention, it is preferable that the operating lever is supported on the upper part of the front recess with a pivot or hinge as the fulcrum.

[0008] Furthermore, in the discharge container equipped with the operating lever of the present invention, the inner body has on its outer surface a vertical groove that is open at the bottom of the front recess and the rear recess and extends from there toward the lower end of the inner body, and a horizontal groove that connects to the lower end of the vertical groove and extends along the circumference of the inner body. Preferably, the exterior body has projections on its inner circumferential wall, which are at least 90° away from the front opening or the rear opening in the circumferential direction, that can fit into the vertical grooves and the horizontal grooves.

[0009] Furthermore, in a discharge container equipped with an operating lever of the present invention, it is preferable that the operating lever has sliders at both ends in the width direction of the lever body that can slide along guide surfaces provided on the inner circumferential wall of the inner body when the operating lever swings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the discharge container equipped with an operating lever of the present invention, a lever-type operating lever with a protruding portion suspended downwards is provided above an inner body that surrounds the pressing head, and by swinging the operating lever, the pressing head is pushed through the protruding portion and the contents can be ejected. Therefore, the contents can be ejected with a small pressing force, and the discharge operation can be easily performed even when the pressing head is small.

[0011] Furthermore, in this invention, an annular outer body is rotatably provided so as to surround the inner body, and by rotating the outer body, the peripheral wall (closing wall) can close the front recess and rear recess provided on the front and rear sides of the nozzle of the pressing head of the inner body, respectively. Therefore, for example, when storing or carrying in a bag, the nozzle of the pressing head is not left exposed to the outside, preventing dirt and dust from adhering to it, making it hygienic, and also giving the dispensing container a high-quality feel.

[0012] Furthermore, in the present invention, when the outer casing is rotated to a position that closes the front recess and rear recess of the inner body, the upper end (protruding end) of the outer casing can support the free end of the operating lever from below. This restricts the downward movement of the operating lever, thereby preventing malfunction of the pressing head. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure shows the state of a discharge container equipped with an operating lever according to the present invention when in use (unlocked), where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a right side view, and (e) is a rear view. [Figure 2] The diagram shows the state of a discharge container equipped with an operating lever according to the present invention when it is stored (locked), with (a) being a front view, (b) a top view, (c) a left side view, (d) a right side view, and (e) a rear view. [Figure 3] (a) is a diagram showing the disassembled state of the discharge container equipped with the operating levers shown in Figures 1 and 2, and (b) is a bottom view of the outer casing. [Figure 4] (a) is a cross-sectional view at position AA in Figure 1(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view of (a) excluding the pressing head (the operating lever is not shown in the cross-section). [Figure 5] This figure shows one embodiment of an interior unit equipped with an operating lever, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a right side view, and (e) is a rear view. [Figure 6] This figure shows one embodiment of the operating lever, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a right side view, (e) is a bottom view, and (f) is a rear view. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates how the slider of the operating lever moves along a guide surface provided on the inner perimeter wall of the interior unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Figure 1 shows the state of a discharge container equipped with an operating lever according to the present invention when in use (unlocked), where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a right side view, and (e) is a rear view. Figure 2 shows the state of a discharge container equipped with an operating lever according to the present invention when stored (locked), where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a right side view, and (e) is a rear view. Figure 3(a) shows the disassembled state of the discharge container equipped with the operating levers of Figures 1 and 2, and (b) is a bottom view of the outer casing. Figure 4(a) is a cross-sectional view at position AA in Figure 1(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view of (a) excluding the pressing head (the operating lever is not shown in cross-section). Figure 5 shows one embodiment of an interior unit equipped with an operating lever, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a right side view, and (e) is a rear view. Figure 6 shows one embodiment of an operating lever, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a left side view, (d) is a right side view, (e) is a bottom view, and (f) is a rear view. Figure 7 illustrates the situation in which the slider of the operating lever moves along a guide surface provided on the inner circumferential wall of the interior unit.

[0015] In Figures 1-7, reference numeral 1 denotes a container for holding contents, reference numeral 2 denotes a base cap that is detachably attached to the neck 11 of the container 1 by screwing or undercut fitting and seals the inside of the container 1, and reference numeral 3 denotes a pump mechanism that is inserted through the central part of the base cap 2 and suspended and held inside the neck 11.

[0016] 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 injection molding, extrusion blow molding, biaxial stretch blow molding, etc., but the material and molding method are not particularly limited. Furthermore, although a cylindrical container 1 is shown as an example in this embodiment, 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.

[0017] The base cap 2 has female threads on its inner peripheral wall and is detachably attached by screwing onto the male threads 11a provided on the outer peripheral wall of the mouth-neck portion 11 of the container 1 and also by undercut fitting. The base cap 2 can be manufactured using a material such as synthetic resin, but the material of the base cap is not particularly limited. Also, in the present embodiment, a cylindrical shape is shown as an example, but it is not limited to the illustrated shape.

[0018] A pump mechanism 3 is disposed in the base cap 2, which is connected to a hollow stem standing through the top wall and is suspended and held inside the mouth-neck portion 11 of the container 1. The pump mechanism 3 has a pressing head 31. By repeatedly pushing in the pressing head 31, the pump mechanism 3 is driven through the hollow stem, and the content stored in the container 1 is sucked through a suction pipe 32 and is pressurized, compressed, and ejected from the nozzle 33 of the pressing head 31. Also, the pump mechanism 3 is fixedly held to the base cap 2 by undercut fitting or the like.

[0019] In the present embodiment, the pressing head 31 has a shape in which the upper surface is recessed toward the center in the width direction. Thereby, when the pressing head 31 is pushed in by the protruding portion 52 of an operation lever 5 described later, the pushing-in path of the protruding portion 52 is regulated (guided), and the pressing head 31 can be stably pushed in in the direction of the container axis L.

[0020] Reference numeral 4 denotes an interior body surrounding the pressing head 31 and having an inner cylinder 41 and an outer cylinder 42. The inner cylinder 41 and the outer cylinder 42 are integrally formed via a top wall 43 provided at the upper end portions. Also, the outer cylinder 42 is provided at its lower end portion with a support portion (flange) 42a that abuts against the lower end of an exterior body 6 described later and supports the exterior body 6 so as to be rotatable using the abutting surface as a guide.

[0021] The inner body 4 is fitted and held in place on the base cap 2 by engaging ribs (not shown) provided on the inner circumferential wall of the inner cylinder 41 with knurling 21 provided on the outer circumferential wall of the base cap 2. The inner body 4 may also be fixedly held in place on the base cap 2 using undercut fitting or flanges, and is not limited to being attached by knurling 21 as long as it is mounted to the base cap 2 in a way that prevents rotation. Furthermore, alignment mechanisms (for example, consisting of vertical protrusions and recesses) may be provided between the pressing head 31 and the base cap 2, and between the base cap 2 and the inner body 41, respectively, to align and fix and hold them together.

[0022] The interior body 4 has a front recess 45 on the front side of the nozzle 33 of the pressing head 31 and a rear recess 46 on the rear side of the nozzle 33. Preferably, the front recess 45 and the rear recess 46 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the container axis L. In this embodiment, the front recess 45 is U-shaped and the rear recess 46 is concave, but the shape is not limited to these.

[0023] The outer periphery wall of the interior body 4 is provided with vertical grooves 47 extending downward from the bottom 45a of the front recess 45 and the bottom 46a of the rear recess 46, respectively, and horizontal grooves 48 that connect to the lower ends of the vertical grooves 47 and extend along the circumference of the interior body 4.

[0024] Reference numeral 5 denotes a lever-type operating lever positioned horizontally between the upper end of the front recess 45 and the upper end of the rear recess 46 of the interior body 4, so as to cover the pressing head 31. The operating lever 5 has a plate-shaped lever body 51 and a protruding portion 52 that hangs down and is held on the lower surface of the lever body 51.

[0025] The operating lever 5 is supported on the upper part of the front recess 45 via a pivot 53 provided at the end of the lever body 51, and is configured to swing around the pivot 53 as a fulcrum. In this embodiment, the operating lever 5 and the internal body 4 are constructed as separate parts and connected via the pivot 53, but the operating lever 5 may be molded integrally with the internal body 4, in which case the operating lever 5 may be formed by connecting it to the upper part of the front recess 45, and the connected portion may be supported swingably as a hinge, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0026] The protruding portion 52 contacts the top of the pressing head 31 and pushes it downward when the free end 54 (the end on the back recess 46 side) of the lever body 51 is pressed down with a finger and swung around the pivot 53 as a fulcrum. As the lever body 51 is pressed down, the contents can be ejected from the nozzle 33. Therefore, the pressing head 31 can be operated with a small pressing force by the lever principle using the operating lever 5. In this embodiment, the protruding portion 52 is made of a plate-like body and has an arc-shaped edge to enable smooth pressing of the pressing head 31, but any shape is acceptable as long as it can press the top of the pressing head 31 as the lever body 51 is pressed down.

[0027] Furthermore, sliders 55 and 56 are provided on the lower surface of the lever body 51, protruding from both ends in the width direction. As shown in Figure 7, when the lever body 51 is pushed down with the pivot 53 as the fulcrum, the sliders 55 and 56 move along the side wall surface 49a of the guide 49, which is a recess provided in the inner circumferential wall of the inner body 4, thereby stabilizing the position of the operating lever 5. In addition, the sliders 55 and 56 catch on the upper wall surface 49b of the guide 49, which is a recess, thereby restricting upward swinging from the horizontal position.

[0028] Reference numeral 6 denotes an annular outer casing provided so as to surround the inner casing 4. The outer casing 6 has a front opening 61 and a rear opening 62 positioned symmetrically across the container axis L, and has projections 63 and 64 at the lower end of the inner circumferential wall, which are 90° in the circumferential direction from the front opening 61 and the rear opening 62. In this embodiment, the front opening 61 is U-shaped and the rear opening 62 is concave, matching the shapes of the front recess 45 and the rear recess 46, respectively, but the shapes can be changed as appropriate.

[0029] Furthermore, the exterior body 6 has a front closing wall 65 and a rear closing wall 66 flanking the front opening 61 and rear opening 62, with the upper end height of the rear closing wall 66 being lower than that of the front closing wall 65.

[0030] The outer casing 6 can be attached to surround the inner casing 4 by fitting the projections 63 and 64 into the upper ends of the vertical grooves 47 provided on the outer circumferential wall of the inner casing 4, and sliding them downward along the vertical grooves 47. Furthermore, at the lower end of the vertical grooves 47, the projections 63 and 64 can be moved along the horizontal grooves 48 connected to the lower end of the vertical grooves 47, allowing for rotation in the circumferential direction. At this time, the lower end of the outer casing 6 abuts against the upper surface of the support portion 42a of the inner casing 4, enabling stable rotation in the circumferential direction.

[0031] Furthermore, the vertical groove 47 has a retaining projection 47a at its lower end, which prevents the attached outer casing 6 from falling off during handling, etc. In addition, the horizontal groove 48 has overhanging protrusions 48a at both ends in the circumferential direction, and the protrusions 63 and 64 engage with these overhanging protrusions 48a to restrict the movement of the outer casing 6 in the circumferential direction. Moreover, the engagement of the outer casing 6 can be confirmed by the clicking sound and tactile sensation when the overhanging protrusions engage, allowing for safe use.

[0032] When the outer casing 6 is fitted along the vertical groove 47 of the inner casing 4 as described above, the front recess 45 and rear recess 46 of the inner casing 4 are closed by the front closing wall 65 and rear closing wall 66 of the outer casing 6, as shown in Figure 2, and the nozzle 33 of the pressing head 31 located inside is prevented from being exposed to the outside (closed state). Furthermore, in this state, as shown in Figure 2(e), the protruding end 67 at the upper end of the rear closing wall 66 fits into the lower part of the free end 54 of the operating lever 5 and supports the free end 54 from below. This restricts the downward pushing of the free end 54, causing the operating lever 5 to lock and preventing malfunctions.

[0033] In this embodiment, when the outer casing 6 is rotated 90° counterclockwise from this locked state, as shown in Figure 1, the front opening 61 and rear opening 62 of the outer casing 6 align with and communicate with the front recess 45 and rear recess 46 of the inner casing 4, respectively. As a result, the front recess 45 and rear recess 46 are opened, and as shown in Figure 1(e), the lock on the operating lever 5 by the protruding end 67 of the rear closing wall 66 is released, allowing the operating lever 5 to be pushed down, and the contents can be ejected from the nozzle 33 as appropriate.

[0034] In this embodiment, the case in which the outer casing 6 is rotated 90° counterclockwise is shown as an example. However, if, for example, the shapes of the front recess 45 and the rear recess 46 are the same, the lateral groove 48 provided on the outer peripheral wall of the inner casing 4 may be provided so that the outer casing 6 can rotate more than 90°. In that case, it is preferable to lower the upper end height of the front closing wall 65 to the same level as the rear closing wall 66, so that the free end 54 of the operating lever 5 is supported from below at its tip, thereby locking the operation of the operating lever 5. [Industrial applicability]

[0035] The dispensing container equipped with the operating lever of the present invention can be suitably used as a container for filling with liquid, creamy, viscous, or other liquid, chemical, cosmetic, or other contents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 1 container 11. Oral and cervical region 11a Male screw 2 Base caps 21 knurling 3. Pump mechanism 31 Pressing head 32 Suction tube 33 nozzles 4 Interior 41 Inner cylinder 42 Outer cylinder 42a Support part 43. Ceiling Wall 45 Front recess 45a bottom 46 Rear recess 46a bottom 47. Vertical grooves 47a Retaining projection 48 Yokomizo 48a Overcoming protrusion 49 Guide 49a Side wall 49b Upper wall 5. Operating lever 51 Lever body 52 Protruding part 53 Axis 54 Free end 55, 56 Sliders 6. Exterior 61 Front opening 62 Rear opening 63,64 protrusion 65 Front closure wall 66 Rear blocking wall 67. Promontory

Claims

1. A discharge container is provided in which a pump suspended and held within the neck of the container is driven by pressing a pressing head attached to the neck of the container with an operating lever, thereby sucking, pressurizing, and compressing the contents contained within the container and ejecting them through the nozzle of the pressing head, The device comprises an annular inner body surrounding the pressing head and being fitted and held in a rotatable manner on the base cap of the pressing head, and an annular outer body surrounding the inner body and being rotatable along its circumference, The internal body includes a front recess and a rear recess, respectively, provided on the front and rear sides of the nozzle of the pressing head, and a lever-type operating lever positioned horizontally above the front and rear recesses, which swings with the upper part of the front recess as a pivot point to press the pressing head through a protruding part provided on its lower surface. A discharge container equipped with an operating lever, characterized in that the outer casing has a closing wall that closes the front recess and the rear recess, respectively; a protruding end that supports the free end of the operating lever from below and restricts its movement; and a front opening and a rear opening that rotate along the circumference of the inner casing to align with and communicate with the front recess and the rear recess, respectively, thereby opening the front recess and the rear recess, and releasing the support at the free end of the operating lever to allow its movement.

2. A discharge container equipped with an operating lever according to claim 1, characterized in that the operating lever is supported on the upper part of the front recess with a pivot or hinge as the fulcrum.

3. The interior body has, on its outer surface, a longitudinal groove that is open at the bottom of the front recess and the rear recess and extends toward the lower end of the interior body, and a transverse groove that connects to the lower end of the longitudinal groove and extends along the circumference of the interior body. The discharge container, equipped with an operating lever as described in 1 or 2, is characterized in that the outer casing has projections on its inner circumferential wall, which are at least 90° away from the front opening or the rear opening in the circumferential direction, that can fit into the vertical grooves and the horizontal grooves.

4. The discharge container equipped with the operating lever according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operating lever has sliders at both ends in the width direction of the lever body that can slide along guide surfaces provided on the inner circumferential wall of the inner body when the operating lever is swung.

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