Trigger-type liquid discharger and trigger-type spray container

Abstract

This trigger-type liquid discharger comprises: a discharger body which has incorporated therein a pump that is capable of sucking and pressure-feeding a liquid in a container body; an operation lever for actuating the pump; and a liquid discharge nozzle for discharging the liquid through actuation of the pump. The liquid discharge nozzle includes: a discharge outlet through which the liquid can be discharged; a nozzle flow passage which allows the liquid that is pressure-fed from the pump to flow toward the discharge outlet; and a space which is formed between the discharge outlet and the nozzle flow passage and which connects the discharge outlet and the nozzle flow passage. The cross-sectional area of the space is larger than that of the nozzle flow passage.

Description

Trigger-type liquid dispenser and trigger-type spray container

[0001] The present invention relates to a trigger-type liquid dispenser and a trigger-type spray container.

[0002] Trigger-type liquid dispensers having a liquid dispense nozzle capable of dispensing liquid have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a trigger-type liquid dispenser having a nozzle mechanism that can switch between a direct injection mode, in which a common groove portion passes through a first groove portion and a nozzle hole, and a mist ejection mode, in which a common groove portion passes through a second groove portion and a spin groove and a nozzle hole, by rotating a cap.

[0003] JP 2016-087530 A

[0004] In the trigger-type liquid ejector described in Patent Document 1, when the nozzle mechanism is in mist ejection mode, the liquid flows through the spin groove, causing the liquid to be ejected from the nozzle hole in a state of varying flow strength, which causes the liquid ejected from the nozzle hole to rotate and spread, resulting in liquid scattering, etc. Furthermore, when the nozzle mechanism is in direct injection mode, the liquid does not flow through the spin groove, causing the liquid to be ejected in a highly straight line from the nozzle hole, but the flow of the liquid flowing through the first groove portion is not uniform, causing the liquid to be ejected with varying flow speed, which causes the liquid ejected from the nozzle hole to spread in a manner similar to rotation, resulting in liquid scattering, etc. This type of liquid scattering, etc., causes a decrease in the liquid ejection distance.

[0005] The present invention relates to a trigger-type liquid dispenser and a trigger-type spray container that can increase the liquid dispensing distance.

[0006] The trigger-type liquid ejector includes a container body incorporating a pump capable of sucking in and pumping out liquid from the container body, an operating lever for operating the pump, and a liquid ejection nozzle for ejecting liquid by operating the pump, wherein the liquid ejection nozzle has an ejection outlet capable of ejecting liquid, a nozzle flow path for circulating liquid pumped from the pump toward the ejection outlet, and a space formed between the ejection outlet and the nozzle flow path and communicating with the ejection outlet and the nozzle flow path, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the space is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle flow path.

[0007] According to the trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention, it is possible to increase the ejection distance of liquid.

[0008] 6 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a trigger-type spray container according to a first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the liquid discharge nozzle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section along the liquid discharge direction of the liquid discharge nozzle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is an image taken of the state immediately after discharge of liquid discharged from the trigger-type liquid discharger according to Example 1. FIG. 10 is an image taken of the state immediately after discharge of liquid discharged from the trigger-type liquid discharger according to Comparative Example 1. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a trigger-type liquid discharger according to a second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a partial enlarged view of part A shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 13 is a view of the first and second members assembled to each other, viewed from the tip end side. FIG. 14 is a view of the first and second members assembled to each other, viewed from the base end side. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view along the axial direction of the first member. FIG. 16 is a view of the first member from the base end side. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the first member from the base end side. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing the pattern of liquid sprayed by a trigger-type spray container. FIG. 19 is a graph showing the change in the non-deposition rate of liquid and the outer diameter of the deposition pattern for each spray distance in Example 3 and Comparative Example 3. 1 is a graph showing the change in the non-deposited rate of liquid and the outer diameter of the deposition pattern for each spray distance in Examples 4 to 6. FIG. 2 is a photographed image of the liquid pattern sprayed by the trigger-type spray container according to Comparative Example 4. FIG. 3 is a photographed image of the liquid pattern sprayed by the trigger-type spray container according to Example 7. FIG. 4 is a front perspective view showing a liquid discharge nozzle according to a modified example. FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view showing a liquid discharge nozzle according to a modified example. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a liquid discharge nozzle according to a modified example. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section along the liquid discharge direction of the liquid discharge nozzle according to a modified example.

[0009] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In addition, in the first embodiment, the scale and dimensions of each component may be exaggerated, and some components may be omitted.

[0010] 1, the trigger-type spray container 1' according to the first embodiment includes a container body 100' capable of containing a liquid, and a trigger-type liquid dispenser 200' that can be attached to the container body 100' and that can dispense the liquid in the container body 100' by manual operation by a user. The trigger-type spray container 1' according to the first embodiment can be used to dispense liquids such as household detergents, mold removers, hair styling products, air fresheners, and deodorizers.

[0011] Hereinafter, in the first embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the direction of liquid ejection by the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' (the direction of liquid ejection from an ejection port 311a' described below) may be referred to as the "forward" direction, and the opposite direction may be referred to as the "rear" direction. Furthermore, in the state in which the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' is attached to the container body 100' (the state in FIG. 1), the side on which the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' is located may be referred to as the "upper" side, and the side on which the container body 100' is located may be referred to as the "lower" side.

[0012] 1, the container body 100' is a cylindrical container with a bottom and a small-diameter cylindrical mouth 110' at the top, and is configured to be able to contain a liquid in its internal space. Note that various known configurations can be adopted for this container body 100', and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0013] [Configuration of trigger-type liquid dispenser] As shown in Figure 1, the trigger-type liquid dispenser 200' according to the first embodiment comprises a dispenser main body 210' incorporating a pump 220' capable of sucking and pumping liquid from within the container main body 100', an operating lever 230' (trigger) for operating the pump 220', and a liquid dispense nozzle 240' for discharging liquid by operating the pump 220'.

[0014] In addition, in the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' according to the first embodiment, the configurations other than those related to the liquid ejection nozzle 240' can be those of various known trigger-type liquid ejectors, so the following will only provide a brief explanation of one example and will not provide a detailed explanation.

[0015] The dispenser body 210' comprises a cap member 211' configured to be attachable to the nozzle 110' of the container body 100', a vertical tube 212' extending upward from the cap member 211', a horizontal tube 213' extending forward from the upper end of the vertical tube 212' and connected to the liquid discharge nozzle 240', a cylindrical holding portion 214' extending forward from the middle of the vertical tube 212', a pump 220' held within the holding portion 214', and a head cover 215' that covers part of the vertical tube 212', the horizontal tube 213', the holding portion 214', the pump 220' and the operating lever 230'.

[0016] The vertical tube 212' has a cylindrical neck portion 212a' at its lower end, which is inserted into the upper opening (not shown) of the cap member 211'. The neck portion 212a' has a smaller width (i.e., diameter) in a direction intersecting the swing direction of the operating lever 230' than the cap member 211'. The vertical tube 212' also has a cylindrical intake 212b' inside. The lower end of the intake 212b' is connected to a pipe 216' extending inside the container body 100', and the upper end is connected to the rear end of the horizontal tube 213'. Thus, a delivery path from the container body 100' to the liquid discharge nozzle 240' is formed by the pipe 216', the intake 212b', and the horizontal tube 213'. The intake 212b' has a communication hole 212c' formed therein that communicates with the pump chamber 224' described later, and an intake valve 212d' and a discharge valve 212e' are arranged on the upstream and downstream sides of the communication hole 212c', respectively, so that by operating the pump 220', liquid can be sucked from the container body 100' into the pump chamber 224' and pressure-fed from the pump chamber 224' to the liquid discharge nozzle 240'.

[0017] The pump 220' includes a cylindrical cylinder 221' fitted and held in the holder 214', and a piston 222' reciprocally housed inside the cylinder 221'. The piston 222' has a smaller diameter than the cylinder 221', thereby forming a gap between its outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 221'. An annular seal 223' protrudes from the rear end of the piston 222' and slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 221'. The seal 223' seals the inside of the cylinder 221', thereby forming a pump chamber 224' behind the seal 223'. The front end of the piston 222' is engaged with an operating lever 230', and is biased by a coil spring 225' provided inside the piston 222' in a direction that pushes back the operating lever 230' (in the direction of expanding the pump chamber 224').

[0018] The operating lever 230' has its upper end (base end) pivotally mounted to the tip end of the horizontal cylinder 213' of the dispenser main body 210' so as to be swingable, and is provided hanging downward (toward the container main body 100') from the horizontal cylinder 213' so as to face the vertical cylinder 212', the holding portion 214', and the cap member 211'. The rear surface of the operating lever 230' is engaged with the front end of the piston 222' as described above, and the piston 222' is configured to be reciprocated by the reciprocating movement of the operating lever 230'. In the trigger-type liquid dispenser 200' according to the first embodiment, the hanging operating lever 230' forms a space between the operating lever 230' and the cap member 211', the vertical cylinder 212', and the horizontal cylinder 213' of the dispenser main body 210', and the piston 222' of the pump 220' is disposed in this space.

[0019] 1 to 3, the liquid discharge nozzle 240' comprises a nozzle body 300' provided at the tip of the horizontal tube 213' of the discharger body 210', and a nozzle cover 400' that covers the nozzle body 300'. The nozzle body 300' may be configured to be detachable from the discharger body 210', or may be configured to be non-detachable.

[0020] The nozzle body 300' comprises an outer body (first member) 310' having a discharge port 311a' capable of discharging liquid, and an inner body (second member) 320' provided inside and on the rear side of the outer body 310'.

[0021] The outer main body 310′ has a circular front wall 311′ and a peripheral wall 312′ extending rearward from the entire outer periphery of the front wall 311′. The outer main body 310′ is generally cylindrical and open toward the rear. A discharge port 311a′ is formed in the center of the front wall 311′. The discharge port 311a′ is an opening that penetrates the front wall 311′ from the outer surface to the inner surface. While the first embodiment describes the front wall 311′ as being circular, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the front wall 311′ may be square, rectangular, triangular, or another shape. However, a circular shape is preferable from the viewpoint of uniformly distributing the pumped liquid to the nozzle.

[0022] The inner body 320′ has a circular front surface 321′ facing the front wall 311′ of the outer body 310′, a circular rear surface 322′ facing the front surface 321′, and a peripheral surface 323′ extending from the outer peripheral edge of the front surface 321′ to the outer peripheral edge of the rear surface 322′, and is formed into a cylindrical shape as a whole. The front surface 321′ and the rear surface 322′ are formed to be the same shape and size, and are sized so that the inner body 320′ can be fitted into the outer body 310′. The inner body 320′ is provided inside and on the rear side of the outer body 310′, and is formed to have a shorter length in the front-to-rear direction than the outer body 310′. Note that in the first embodiment, the inner body 320′ has been described as being formed into a cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto and may be formed into a rectangular prism shape, for example.

[0023] The inner main body 320' also has nozzle flow paths 324' at its upper and lower ends, which allow the liquid pumped from the pump 220' to flow toward the discharge port 311a'. That is, in the first embodiment, the discharge port 311a' and the nozzle flow path 324' are not arranged on the same straight line. The nozzle flow path 324' is an opening formed penetrating from the front surface 321' to the rear surface 322', and communicates with the supply path of the dispenser main body 210'. Note that in the first embodiment, the nozzle flow paths 324' have been described as being provided at the upper and lower ends of the inner main body 320', but this is not limiting, and the nozzle flow paths 324' may be provided at any position on the inner main body 320', and one, two, or more nozzle flow paths may be provided.

[0024] The nozzle body 300' also has a flow velocity buffering region 330' formed between the discharge port 311a' and the nozzle flow path 324' and communicating with the discharge port 311a' and the nozzle flow path 324'. Here, the "flow velocity buffering region" refers to a space having a cross-sectional area larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle flow path 324', and is a space for making the flow velocity of the liquid flowing through the nozzle flow path 324' uniform. Furthermore, the "cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle flow path 324'" here refers to the total cross-sectional area of ​​the multiple nozzle flow paths 324' when multiple nozzle flow paths 324' are provided, or refers to the cross-sectional area of ​​the largest portion when the cross-sectional areas of the nozzle flow paths 324' vary locally. In the first embodiment, the flow velocity buffering region 330' is a cylindrical space defined by the inner surface of the front wall 311', the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 312', and the front surface 321'. The cross-sectional area of ​​the flow velocity buffering region 330' is preferably constant from the front end to the rear end. From this perspective, the flow velocity buffering region 330' is preferably formed in a substantially rectangular shape in a cross section taken along the axis of the outlet 311a' as shown in Fig. 3. In the first embodiment, the flow velocity buffering region 330' is described as being a cylindrical space, but is not limited to this and may be, for example, a prismatic space.

[0025] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow velocity buffering region 330' is preferably 5 to 2000 times the cross-sectional area of ​​the discharge port 311a', more preferably 10 to 1000 times, and most preferably 15 to 500 times. Having such a cross-sectional area of ​​the flow velocity buffering region 330' has the advantage of making the flow velocity of the liquid flowing from the nozzle flow path 324' uniform. Furthermore, the larger the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow velocity buffering region 330', the more uniform the flow velocity of a liquid with a lower viscosity can be.

[0026] In the first embodiment, the spatial volume of the flow velocity buffering region 330' is preferably 5 to 3000 times the opening volume of the discharge port 311a' (the volume at the minimum diameter of the discharge port 311a'), more preferably 20 to 1500 times, and most preferably 50 to 800 times. For example, if the minimum diameter of the discharge port 311a' is 0.8 mm, the length along the liquid discharge direction at the minimum diameter of the discharge port 311a' (the length of the discharge path) is 0.25 mm, and the opening volume of the discharge port 311a' is (0.8 / 2) ２ x 3.14 (pi) x 0.25 mm = 0.1256 mm ３ The diameter of the flow velocity buffering region 330′ is 3.5 mm, the length of the flow velocity buffering region 330′ along the liquid discharge direction is 9.2 mm, and the spatial volume of the flow velocity buffering region 330′ is (3.5 / 2) ２ x 3.14 (pi) x 9.2 = 88.4695 mm ３ In this case, the spatial volume of the flow velocity buffering region 330' is 88.4695 / 0.1256, or 704.375 times the opening volume of the discharge port 311a', which satisfies the above relationship. Having such a spatial volume of the flow velocity buffering region 330' has the advantage of making the flow velocity of the liquid flowing from the nozzle flow path 324' uniform. Furthermore, the larger the spatial volume of the flow velocity buffering region 330', the more uniform the flow velocity of a liquid with a lower viscosity can be made.

[0027] [Method of Using the Trigger-Type Spray Container According to the First Embodiment] First, the operation of the trigger-type spray container 1' according to the first embodiment will be described. In the trigger-type spray container 1' according to the first embodiment, the operation lever 230' of the trigger-type liquid dispenser 200' is pulled toward the container body 100' to move the piston 222' back relative to the cylinder 221', thereby pressurizing the liquid in the pump chamber 224', and the pressurizing force presses the suction valve 212d' against the valve seat to maintain a closed state, while moving the discharge valve 212e' away from the valve seat to an open state, thereby discharging the liquid in the pump chamber 224' to the outside from the discharge port 311a' of the liquid discharge nozzle 240' via the supply path.

[0028] In the first embodiment, since a flow velocity buffering region 330' is formed between the ejection port 311a' and the nozzle flow path 324', liquid with varying flow strengths is not ejected from the ejection port 311a', and liquid with a high degree of linearity is ejected. As a result, the ejection distance of the liquid ejected from the ejection port 311a' increases.

[0029] Furthermore, when the operating lever 230' is released after discharging the liquid, the piston 222' and operating lever 230' are pushed forward by the biasing force of the coil spring 225', which creates a negative pressure in the pump chamber 224', which in turn moves the suction valve 212d' away from the valve seat to an open state and presses the discharge valve 212e' against the valve seat to a closed state, allowing the liquid in the container body 100' to flow into the pump chamber 224' through the pipe 216'. By repeatedly pulling and releasing the operating lever 230' in this way, the liquid in the container body 100' can be continuously discharged from the liquid discharge nozzle 240'.

[0030] Because the trigger-type spray container 1' operates in this manner, a user of the trigger-type spray container 1' can hold the trigger-type spray container 1' and pull the operating lever 230' of the trigger-type liquid dispenser 200' toward the container body 100' to dispense the liquid in the container body 100' toward the object to be dispensed.

[0031] Although the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' according to the first embodiment can increase the ejection distance of the liquid regardless of the viscosity of the liquid, the difference with conventional trigger-type liquid ejectors (for example, the trigger-type liquid ejector described in Patent Document 1) becomes more pronounced, particularly when the liquid has a low viscosity. In this case, the viscosity of the liquid is preferably 1 mPa·s or more and 500 mPa·s or less, more preferably 1 mPa·s or more and 100 mPa·s or less, and most preferably 1 mPa·s or more and 10 mPa·s or less.

[0032] [Advantages of the trigger-type liquid dispenser according to the first embodiment] As described above, the trigger-type liquid dispenser 200′ according to the first embodiment is a trigger-type liquid dispenser 200′ comprising a dispenser main body 210′ ​​incorporating a pump 220′ capable of sucking in and pressurizing the liquid in the container main body 100′, an operating lever 230′ for operating the pump 220′, and a liquid discharge nozzle 240′ for discharging the liquid by operating the pump 220′, and the liquid discharge nozzle 240′ has a discharge port 311a′ capable of discharging the liquid, a nozzle flow path 324′ for circulating the liquid pressurized from the pump 220′ toward the discharge port 311a′, and a flow rate buffering region 330′ formed between the discharge port 311a′ and the nozzle flow path 324′ and communicating with the discharge port 311a′ and the nozzle flow path 324′.

[0033] According to the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' having such a configuration, no groove is formed between the ejection port 311a' and the nozzle flow path 324', and a flow velocity buffering region 330' is formed, so that liquid with varying flow strengths is not ejected from the ejection port 311a', and liquid with high straightness is ejected. This has the advantage of making it possible to increase the ejection distance of the liquid, which is at least twice as long as the ejection distance of liquid from conventional trigger-type liquid ejectors. Furthermore, because the liquid can be ejected with high straightness, there is the advantage that the liquid can be ejected accurately toward the targeted location.

[0034] Furthermore, in the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' according to the first embodiment, a plurality of nozzle flow paths 324' are provided. The trigger-type liquid ejector 200' having such a configuration has the advantage of being able to eject a large amount of liquid in a single ejection operation.

[0035] Furthermore, in the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' according to the first embodiment, the ejection port 311a' and the nozzle flow path 324' are not arranged on the same straight line. With the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' having such a configuration, even if the ejection port 311a' and the nozzle flow path 324' are not arranged on the same straight line and a structure that makes it difficult to eject liquid with a high degree of linearity is achieved, the flow rate of the liquid can be made uniform in the flow rate buffering region 330', which has the advantage of making it possible to eject liquid with a high degree of linearity.

[0036] Furthermore, in the trigger-type liquid ejector 200′ according to the first embodiment, the liquid ejection nozzle 240′ further comprises an outer main body 310′ having a circular front wall 311′ and a peripheral wall 312′ extending rearward from the entire outer peripheral edge of the front wall 311′, and an inner main body 320′ provided inside and at the rear side of the outer main body 310′ and having a circular front surface 321′ facing the front wall 311′ and a circular rear surface 322′ facing the front surface 321′, the ejection port 311a′ is provided in the center of the front wall 311′, the nozzle flow path 324′ is formed penetrating from the front surface 321′ to the rear surface 322′, and the flow rate buffering region 330′ is a cylindrical space defined by the inner surface of the front wall 311′, the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 312′, and the front surface 321′. According to the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' having such a configuration, the flow rate buffering area 330' is a cylindrical space defined by the inner surface of the front wall 311', the inner surface of the peripheral wall 312', and the front surface 321', and no grooves or the like that would hinder the uniformity of the liquid flow rate are formed between the ejection port 311a' and the nozzle flow path 324', which has the advantage of uniforming the flow rate of the liquid flowing from the nozzle flow path 324', thereby making it possible to eject liquid with high straightness.

[0037] [Configuration of Trigger-Type Liquid Ejector According to Second Embodiment] Next, the configuration of a trigger-type liquid ejector according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 16. Note that, in all drawings, similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted where appropriate. In the following description, the downward direction in FIG. 6 may be referred to as "downward," and the upward direction may be referred to as "upward." More specifically, in the state in which the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 is attached to the container body 210 (the state in FIG. 6), the side on which the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 is located may be referred to as "upward," and the side on which the container body 210 is located may be referred to as "downward." Furthermore, the side in the direction of liquid ejection by the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 (the direction of liquid ejection from the ejection port 42, described below) may be referred to as "front" or "tip side," and the side opposite to this ejection direction may be referred to as "rear" or "base side." In FIG. 6, only the outline of the portion of the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 outside the curve H is shown. 8 and 9 only show a portion of the first member 60 and the second member 70 (more specifically, the insertion portion 73, which will be described later). In addition, in Fig. 13, the pattern of liquid sprayed by the trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 is shown by dashed lines.

[0038] The trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 according to this embodiment is a trigger-type liquid dispenser that is attached to a container body 210 that stores liquid and dispenses the liquid in a mist form by operating a trigger (an operating lever 30, described below). As shown in Figure 6, the trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 comprises a dispenser body 10 that incorporates a pump 20 that can suck in and dispense the liquid in the container body 210, and a liquid dispense nozzle 40 that dispenses (sprays) the liquid dispensed from the dispenser body 10 in a mist form.

[0039] Here, the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to the target surface 310 ( FIG. 13 ) placed at a spray distance of 80 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is 25% or more and 100% or less, and the outer diameter of the liquid adhesion pattern on the target surface 310 is 90 mm or more and 210 mm or less. From the viewpoint of spraying an appropriate amount of liquid onto the target surface, preferably, the upper limit of the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to the target surface 310 placed at a spray distance of 80 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is 75% or less, more preferably, the upper limit of the adhesion rate is 65% or less, and even more preferably, the upper limit of the adhesion rate is 55% or less. From the viewpoint of spraying an appropriate amount of liquid onto the target surface, preferably, the lower limit of the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to the target surface 310 placed at a spray distance of 80 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is 25% or more, more preferably, the lower limit of the adhesion rate is 35% or more, and even more preferably, the lower limit of the adhesion rate is 45% or more. From the viewpoint of spraying the liquid over a desired range, preferably, the upper limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern of the liquid on the target surface 310 placed at a spray distance of 80 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is 210 mm or less, more preferably, the upper limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern is 205 mm or less, and even more preferably, the upper limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern is 195 mm or less. From the viewpoint of spraying the liquid over a desired range, preferably, the lower limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern of the liquid on the target surface 310 placed at a spray distance of 80 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is 90 mm or more, more preferably, the lower limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern is 120 mm or more, and even more preferably, the lower limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern is 130 mm or more.

[0040] Furthermore, the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to the target surface 310 placed at a spray distance of 40 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is 65% or more and 100% or less, and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern of the liquid on the target surface 310 is 75 mm or more and 180 mm or less. From the viewpoint of spraying an appropriate amount of liquid onto the target surface, preferably, the upper limit of the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to the target surface 310 placed at a spray distance of 40 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is 100% or less, more preferably, the upper limit of the adhesion rate is 90% or less, and even more preferably, the upper limit of the adhesion rate is 85% or less. From the viewpoint of spraying an appropriate amount of liquid onto the target surface, preferably, the lower limit of the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to the target surface 310 placed at a spray distance of 40 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is 65% or more, more preferably, the lower limit of the adhesion rate is 70% or more, and even more preferably, the lower limit of the adhesion rate is 75% or more. From the viewpoint of spraying the liquid over a desired range, preferably, the upper limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern of the liquid on the target surface 310 placed at a spray distance of 40 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is 180 mm or less, more preferably, the upper limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern is 175 mm or less, and even more preferably, the upper limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern is 165 mm or less. From the viewpoint of spraying the liquid over a desired range, preferably, the lower limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern of the liquid on the target surface 310 placed at a spray distance of 40 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is 75 mm or more, more preferably, the lower limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern is 120 mm or more, and even more preferably, the lower limit of the outer diameter of the deposition pattern is 145 mm or more.

[0041] The "spray distance" here refers to the horizontal distance L3 ( FIG. 13 ) from the discharge port 42 (described in detail below) of the liquid discharge nozzle 40 to the target surface 310. The "target surface 310" here refers to a flat, hydrophilic, rough surface. More specifically, in this embodiment, the target surface for the "adhesion rate of liquid adhering to the target surface 310" is a water-absorbent paper sheet, and the target surface for the "outer diameter of the liquid adhesion pattern on the target surface 310" is a water-discoloring paper sheet (the property in which only the areas where the liquid is adhered change color and the original color returns upon evaporation of the liquid). The "adhesion rate of liquid" is the mass of liquid adhering to the target surface 310 divided by the mass of liquid ejected from the liquid discharge nozzle 40 × 100. The term "liquid deposition pattern" refers to the shape of a collection of continuous liquid deposition marks formed immediately after spraying liquid onto the target surface 310 (more specifically, within 5 seconds of the liquid depositing on the target surface 310, if the target surface 310 is a hydrophilic paper sheet) with the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 positioned so that the axis AX1 (FIG. 6) of the liquid ejection nozzle 40 is oriented horizontally and perpendicular to the target surface 310. The shape of the collection of continuous liquid deposition marks is approximately circular, including ellipses. More specifically, the liquid deposition pattern includes areas where the liquid deposition marks are directly connected to each other radially outward from the center of the liquid deposition pattern. The term "outer diameter of the liquid deposition pattern" refers to the maximum diameter D2 (FIG. 13) of the deposition pattern formed on the target surface (more specifically, the areas where the liquid deposition marks are directly connected to each other). The term "discharging a liquid in a mist" refers to discharging the liquid in the form of an aerosol (a state in which the liquid is suspended in the air as minute particles).

[0042] The trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 configured as described above can spray liquid over a longer distance while maintaining a sufficient adhesion rate and outer diameter of the adhesion pattern of the liquid on the target surface 310. This makes it easier to evenly spray a sufficient amount of liquid onto a target located at a long distance. More specifically, when spraying liquid onto targets such as carpets, curtains, and bedding (e.g., comforters and sheets) with a large surface area, or walls separated by obstacles such as bathtubs and beds, the ability to spray liquid from a long distance makes it easy to spray liquid over a wide area onto these targets without having to move around the target or assume an unnatural posture that puts strain on the body.

[0043] In the present invention, the trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 only needs to have at least one of the above-mentioned features that the adhesion rate of liquid adhering to the target surface 310 when placed at a spray distance of 80 cm is 25% to 100% and the outer diameter of the liquid adhesion pattern on the target surface 310 is 90 mm to 210 mm, and the feature that the adhesion rate of liquid adhering to the target surface 310 when placed at a spray distance of 40 cm is 65% to 100% and the outer diameter of the liquid adhesion pattern on the target surface 310 is 75 mm to 180 mm. In this embodiment, the trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 has both of the above-mentioned two features. That is, the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 of this embodiment has an adhesion rate of liquid adhering to a target surface 310 placed at a spray distance of 80 cm from the liquid ejection nozzle 40 of 25% or more and 100% or less, and the outer diameter of the liquid adhesion pattern on the target surface 310 is 90 mm or more and 210 mm or less, and the adhesion rate of liquid adhering to a target surface 310 placed at a spray distance of 40 cm from the liquid ejection nozzle 40 is 65% or more and 100% or less, and the outer diameter of the liquid adhesion pattern on the target surface 310 is 75 mm or more and 180 mm or less.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6 , the trigger-type spray container 200 according to this embodiment includes a container body 210 capable of storing liquid and the trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 described above. In other words, the trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 is comprised of the components of the trigger-type spray container 200 excluding the container body 210. The shape of the container body 210 is not particularly limited, but it may be, for example, a bottomed, cylindrical container having a small-diameter cylindrical nozzle 220 at its upper portion, and configured to accommodate liquid in its internal space. Note that the container body 210 is illustrated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6 . The trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 includes a cap member 11 attached to the nozzle 220 of the container body 210, the dispenser body 10 described above, and a liquid dispenser nozzle 40, with the dispenser body 10 and liquid dispenser nozzle 40 held by the cap member 11. The container body 210 of the trigger-type spray container 200 is filled with liquid to form a liquid-filled trigger-type spray container 300 according to this embodiment.

[0045] In other words, the liquid-filled trigger-type spray container 300 of this embodiment is a liquid-filled trigger-type spray container that includes the trigger-type spray container 200 of this embodiment, and the trigger-type spray container 200 includes a container body 210 and a trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 that is attached to the container body 210, and the container body 210 is filled with liquid.

[0046] In this embodiment, typical examples of liquids include air fresheners, deodorizers, household cleaners, mold removers, and hair styling products, but the liquid is not limited to these and various liquids that are sprayed in mist form can be used.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 6 , the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 includes the aforementioned ejector main body 10, the liquid ejection nozzle 40, and an operating lever 30 (trigger) for operating the pump 20. Operating the trigger (operating lever 30, described below) activates the pump 20, ejecting (spraying) the liquid in a mist. Note that the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 according to this embodiment can employ various known trigger-type liquid ejector configurations other than the configuration related to the liquid ejection nozzle 40. Therefore, only a brief description of one example will be provided below, and detailed description will be omitted in this specification. Furthermore, the structure of the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 (including the pump 20) described below is merely an example, and other widely known structures may be applied to the structure of the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 according to this embodiment is preferably a direct pressure type or a pressure accumulation type, and more preferably a pressure accumulation type.

[0048] In this embodiment, the dispenser body 10 comprises a cap member 11 configured to be attached to the nozzle 220 of the container body 210, a vertical tube 12 held by the cap member 11 and extending vertically, a horizontal tube 13 extending forward from the upper end of the vertical tube 12 and connected to the liquid discharge nozzle 40, a cylindrical holding portion 14 extending forward from the vertical tube 12, a pump 20 held within the holding portion 14, and a head cover 15 that covers the vertical tube 12, the horizontal tube 13, the holding portion 14, the pump 20, and part of the operating lever 30.

[0049] The vertical tube 12 has a cylindrical neck portion 12a at its lower end, which is inserted into an upper opening (not shown) of the cap member 11. The neck portion 12a has a smaller width (i.e., diameter) in a direction intersecting the swing direction of the operating lever 30 than the cap member 11. The vertical tube 12 also has a cylindrical intake 12b inside. The lower end of the intake 12b is connected to a pipe 16 extending inside the container body 210, and the upper end is connected to the rear end of the horizontal tube 13. This allows the pipe 16, intake 12b, and horizontal tube 13 to form a liquid delivery path from the container body 210 to the liquid discharge nozzle 40. The intake 12b has a communication hole 12c formed therein that communicates with the pump chamber 24 described later, and an intake valve 12d and a discharge valve 12e are arranged upstream and downstream of the communication hole 12c, respectively.This allows the pump 20 to be operated to suck liquid from the container body 210 into the pump chamber 24 and to pump (pressurize) it from the pump chamber 24 to the liquid discharge nozzle 40.

[0050] The pump 20 includes a cylindrical cylinder 21 fitted and held in the holder 14, and a piston 22 accommodated inside the cylinder 21 so as to be able to reciprocate. The piston 22 has a smaller diameter than the cylinder 21, thereby forming a gap between its outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 21. An annular seal portion (not shown) protrudes from the rear end of the piston 22 and slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 21. The seal portion seals the inside of the cylinder 21, thereby forming a pump chamber 24 behind the seal portion. The front end of the piston 22 is engaged with an operating lever 30, and is biased by a coil spring 25 provided inside the piston 22 in a direction that pushes back the operating lever 30 (in the direction of expanding the pump chamber 24).

[0051] The operating lever 30 has its upper end pivotally mounted to the tip end of the horizontal cylinder 13 of the dispenser body 10 so as to be swingable, and is provided hanging downward (toward the container body 210) from the horizontal cylinder 13 so as to face the vertical cylinder 12, the holding portion 14, and the cap member 11. As described above, the upper end of the operating lever 30 is engaged with the front end of the piston 22, and is configured so that the piston 22 is moved back and forth by the reciprocating movement of the operating lever 30. In the trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 according to this embodiment, the hanging operating lever 30 forms a space between the operating lever 30 and the cap member 11, vertical cylinder 12, and horizontal cylinder 13 of the dispenser body 10, and the piston 22 of the pump 20 is disposed in this space.

[0052] In the trigger-type liquid dispenser 100 according to this embodiment, the piston 22 is retracted relative to the cylinder 21 by pulling the operating lever 30 toward the container body 210. This pressurizes the liquid in the pump chamber 24, which pushes the discharge valve 12e up from its valve seat and into an open state, allowing the liquid in the pump chamber 24 to be dispensed to the outside through the discharge port 42 ( FIG. 7 ) of the liquid dispensing nozzle 40 via the supply path. Furthermore, in the trigger-type liquid dispenser 100, when the operating lever 30 is released after dispensing the liquid, the biasing force of the coil spring 25 pushes the piston 22 and operating lever 30 back forward, creating a negative pressure in the pump chamber 24. This negative pressure pushes the suction valve 12d up from its valve seat and into an open state, allowing the liquid in the container body 210 to flow into the pump chamber 24. By repeatedly pulling and releasing the operating lever 30 in this manner, the liquid in the container body 210 can be continuously dispensed from the liquid dispensing nozzle 40.

[0053] 7, the liquid discharge nozzle 40 includes a discharge part 45 that discharges liquid to the outside (outside the trigger-type liquid discharger 100), and a nozzle flow path 81 that supplies liquid delivered from the discharger main body 10 to the discharge part 45. The discharge part 45 includes a discharge path 83 that throttles and discharges the liquid that has flowed in from the nozzle flow path 81, and a discharge port 42 that discharges the liquid that has passed through the discharge path 83 to the outside of the trigger-type liquid discharger.

[0054] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 , the opening end of the ejection port 42 is formed into a curved surface with a gradually increasing diameter. In this manner, when the opening end of the ejection port 42 is formed into a curved surface, it has the advantage of making it easier to enlarge the outline of the liquid deposition pattern on the target surface 310. However, this is not limited thereto, and the opening end of the ejection port 42 does not have to gradually increase in diameter or be formed into a curved surface. In the following paragraphs, specific values ​​for the opening diameter D1 of the ejection port 42 and the length dimension L1 of the ejection path 83 will be described. However, these values ​​are calculated under the assumption that the ejection path 83 is formed linearly from the base end to the tip end and that the opening end of the ejection port 42 is not formed into a curved surface.

[0055] In this embodiment, the length L1 of the discharge path 83 is greater than the opening diameter D1 of the discharge port 42. Specifically, the ratio of the length L1 of the discharge path 83 to the opening diameter D1 of the discharge port 42 (length L1 of the discharge path 83 / opening diameter D1 of the discharge port 42) is 1.75 or greater and 10.0 or less. More preferably, the ratio of the length L1 of the discharge path 83 to the opening diameter D1 of the discharge port 42 is 2.0 or greater and 4.0 or less. Here, the "opening diameter D1 of the discharge port 42" refers to the length in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction along the axis of the discharge port 42. Note that if the length of the discharge port 42 varies in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, such as when the discharge port 42 is elliptical, the minimum length is used as the reference. Furthermore, if the length in the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction varies along the axial direction of the discharge port 42, the length at the tip of the discharge port 42 is used as the reference. In this embodiment, the "length dimension L1 of the discharge path 83" refers to the length from the base end to the tip of the discharge path 83 in the front-rear direction. That is, in this embodiment, the length dimension L1 refers to the length from the base end to the tip of a through-hole 65 that penetrates the plate-like portion 63 in the front-rear direction, as described below. This configuration ensures a sufficient length L1 of the discharge path 83, improving the linearity of the liquid discharged from the discharge port 42, allowing the liquid to be sprayed over a longer distance. Meanwhile, the opening diameter D1 of the discharge port 42 can be appropriately reduced to impart a sufficient swirling flow to the liquid passing through the discharge port 42, allowing the liquid to be discharged in a good mist.

[0056] The opening diameter D1 of the discharge port 42 is 0.1 mm or more, preferably 0.15 mm or more, more preferably 0.2 mm or more, and even more preferably 0.25 mm or more, from the viewpoint of ensuring a sufficient discharge amount. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of imparting a sufficient swirling flow to the liquid passing through the discharge port 42, the opening diameter D1 is 1 mm or less, preferably 0.9 mm or less, more preferably 0.5 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.35 mm or less. From the viewpoint of improving the linearity of the liquid, the length dimension L1 of the discharge path 83 is 0.175 mm or more, preferably 0.2 mm or more, more preferably 0.4 mm or more, and even more preferably 0.5 mm or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of imparting a sufficient swirling flow to the liquid passing through the discharge port 42, the length dimension L1 is 3 mm or less, preferably 2 mm or more, more preferably 1 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.70 mm or less. In this embodiment, the opening diameter D1 of the outlet 42 is 0.1 mm or more and 1 mm or less, and the length dimension L1 of the outlet path 83 is 0.175 mm or more and 3.00 mm or less. The opening diameter D1 of the outlet 42 is preferably 0.15 mm or more and 0.9 mm or less, more preferably 0.2 mm or more and 0.5 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.25 mm or more and 0.35 mm or less, and the length dimension L1 of the outlet path 83 is preferably 0.2 mm or more and 2 mm or less, more preferably 0.4 mm or more and 1 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.5 mm or more and 0.7 mm or less. This configuration also ensures a sufficient length dimension L1 of the outlet path 83, improving the linearity of the liquid ejected from the outlet 42, allowing the liquid to be sprayed over a longer distance. Meanwhile, by appropriately restricting the opening diameter D1 of the outlet 42, a sufficient swirling flow can be imparted to the liquid passing through the outlet 42, allowing the liquid to be ejected in a good mist.

[0057] Here, the discharge unit 45 has, for example, a swirling flow path 87 that swirls the liquid flowing in from the nozzle flow path 81 and supplies it to the discharge path 83. This allows the liquid to flow into the discharge path 83 after being sufficiently swirled in the swirling flow path 87. This allows the liquid discharged from the discharge port 42 to be sufficiently atomized (distributed into fine particles). Furthermore, a flow velocity buffering region 85 is formed between the nozzle flow path 81 and the swirling flow path 87, where the liquid flowing in from the nozzle flow path 81 spreads throughout the internal space. The flow velocity buffering region 85 makes the flow velocity of the liquid flowing from the nozzle flow path 81 uniform and appropriately suppresses the swirling flow of the liquid flowing into the discharge path 83. This allows the liquid discharged from the discharge port 42 to be well dispersed, ensuring a sufficient outer diameter D2 of the liquid deposition pattern. In this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow velocity buffering region 85 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the swirling flow path 87. The "cross-sectional area of ​​the swirl flow path 87" refers to the cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. When multiple swirl flow paths 87 are provided, this refers to the total cross-sectional area of ​​the multiple swirl flow paths 87. When the cross-sectional areas of the swirl flow paths 87 vary locally, this refers to the cross-sectional area of ​​the largest portion. In the present invention, the structure of the liquid discharge nozzle 40 for discharging the liquid in a mist is not limited to this example. For example, the liquid discharge nozzle 40 may not include a swirl flow path 87, but may instead be configured to discharge the liquid in a mist by feeding compressed air into the liquid discharge nozzle 40 and mixing it with the liquid. In the present invention, the flow velocity buffering region 85 does not need to be formed between the nozzle flow path 81 and the swirl flow path 87. For example, the nozzle flow path 81 and the swirl flow path 87 may be directly connected to each other.

[0058] In this embodiment, the swirl flow path 87 includes, for example, a circumferential flow path 87a extending circumferentially along the circumferential direction of the liquid discharge nozzle 40, and a plurality of radial flow paths 87b extending radially from the circumferential flow path 87a toward the discharge path 83. A portion of the liquid that flows into the flow rate buffering region 85 passes through the circumferential flow path 87a and the plurality of radial flow paths 87b and flows into the discharge path 83. With this configuration, a portion of the liquid that spreads within the flow rate buffering region 85 flows into the circumferential flow path 87a, flows through the circumferential flow path 87a, and is guided to each of the plurality of radial flow paths 87b. Therefore, a sufficient amount of liquid can flow into the swirl flow path 87.

[0059] Furthermore, the nozzle body 50 includes, for example, a first member 60 that forms the discharge portion 45, and a second member 70 to which the first member 60 is attached. As shown in FIG. 7 , the first member 60 and the second member 70 each have opposing surfaces that face each other in the axial direction of the liquid discharge nozzle 40. The opposing surface of the first member 60 (hereinafter referred to as the first opposing surface 64) is formed with grooves (in the present embodiment, a first groove 66 and a second groove 67, which will be described later) that are recessed toward the side opposite the second member 70, and the grooves form a swirling flow path 87. In addition, a gap 76 is formed between the opposing surface of the first member 60 (the first opposing surface 64) and the opposing surface of the second member 70 (hereinafter referred to as the second opposing surface 74). The gap 76 forms a flow velocity buffering region 85, and the grooves and the gap 76 are directly connected to each other. With this configuration, the liquid whose swirling flow has been suppressed within the flow velocity buffering region 85 and the liquid to which a swirling flow has been imparted by the swirling flow path 87 can be combined and flow into the discharge path 83. This increases the linearity of the liquid flowing into the discharge path 83 to an extent that the liquid can be sprayed over a longer distance while sufficiently maintaining the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to the target surface 310 and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern, and imparts a swirling flow to the liquid passing through the discharge port 42. Note that the "axial direction of the liquid discharge nozzle 40" here refers to the axial direction of the discharge path 83 (more specifically, the through-hole 65, described later), which in this embodiment is the front-to-rear direction. Also, in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the axis AX1 of the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. Furthermore, when explaining the positional relationship between the components of the first member 60 and the second member 70, the axial direction of the discharge passage 83 (through hole 65) may be simply referred to as the axial direction, the radial direction of the discharge passage 83 (through hole 65) may be simply referred to as the radial direction, and the circumferential direction of the discharge passage 83 (through hole 65) may be simply referred to as the circumferential direction.

[0060] More specifically, in this embodiment, the liquid discharge nozzle 40 further includes a confluence channel 88 that is directly connected to the swirl channel 87 and the flow rate buffering region 85, and is disposed between the swirl channel 87 and the flow rate buffering region 85 and the discharge channel 83. The liquid whose swirl flow has been suppressed in the flow rate buffering region 85 and the liquid to which the swirl flow has been imparted by the swirl channel 87 merge in the confluence channel 88 and then flows into the discharge channel 83. This configuration increases the linearity of the liquid flowing into the discharge channel 83, and facilitates imparting a sufficient swirl flow to the liquid passing through the discharge port 42. More specifically, a portion of the liquid that has flowed into the confluence channel 88 flows into the discharge channel 83 while swirling in one circumferential direction (the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 11 ). The other portion of the liquid that has flowed into the confluence channel 88 flows into the discharge channel 83 while moving straight from the base end to the tip end.

[0061] In the present embodiment, it is preferable that the ratio of the volume of the flow velocity buffering region 85 to the volume of the discharge path 83 (volume of flow velocity buffering region 85 / volume of discharge path 83) is 0.05 or more and 500 or less. With this configuration, it is possible to impart a swirling flow to the liquid passing through the discharge port 42 to an extent that the liquid can be sprayed over a longer distance while sufficiently maintaining the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to the target surface 310 and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern.

[0062] Furthermore, it is preferable that the ratio of the volume of the flow velocity buffering region 85 to the volume of the swirl flow path 87 (volume of flow velocity buffering region 85 / volume of swirl flow path 87) is 0.1 or more and 100 or less. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the swirling flow of the liquid flowing into the discharge path 83 to an extent that the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to the target surface 310 and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern can be sufficiently maintained, and the liquid can be sprayed over a longer distance.

[0063] Furthermore, in the axial direction of the liquid discharge nozzle 40, the separation distance L2 (FIG. 7) between the first opposing surface 64 of the first member 60 and the second opposing surface 74 of the second member 70, i.e., the length dimension of the flow velocity buffering region 85, is preferably 0.03 mm or more and 0.15 mm or less, and more preferably 0.06 mm or more and 0.12 mm or less. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the swirling flow of the liquid in the flow velocity buffering region 85 to an extent that the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to the target surface and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern can be sufficiently maintained, while the liquid can be sprayed over a longer distance.

[0064] 6 to 8, the liquid discharge nozzle 40 includes a nozzle body 50 provided at the tip of the horizontal tube 13 of the discharger body 10, and a nozzle cover 110 that covers the nozzle body 50. The nozzle body 50 may be configured to be detachable from the discharger body 10, or may be configured to be non-detachable.

[0065] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , a second member 70 is attached to the distal end of the horizontal tube 13 of the dispenser main body 10, and a first member 60 is assembled to the distal end of the second member 70. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10 to 12 , the first member 60 includes a cylindrical portion 61 formed in a cylindrical shape and a plate-like portion 63 formed at the distal end of the cylindrical portion 61. The axis of the cylindrical portion 61 extends in the front-rear direction. The inner diameter of the proximal end of the cylindrical portion 61 increases in two stages toward the proximal end. The outer diameter of the proximal end of the cylindrical portion 61 gradually decreases toward the proximal end. The plate-like portion 63 is formed in a disk shape, and its plate surface faces the front-rear direction. Of the two plate surfaces of the plate-like portion 63, the rear surface constitutes the aforementioned opposing surface (first opposing surface 64). The plate-like portion 63 is formed with a through-hole 65, which is a circular hole penetrating the plate-like portion 63 in the thickness direction (front-rear). The plate-like portion 63 closes the distal end of the cylindrical portion 61 except for the portion where the through hole 65 is formed. The base end of the through hole 65 forms a reduced-diameter portion 68 that tapers in a mortar-like shape toward the distal end. More specifically, the reduced-diameter portion 68 includes a first portion 68a adjacent to the flow velocity buffering region 85 and a second portion 68b disposed distal to the first portion 68a. The inner diameter of the first portion 68a is constant regardless of the axial position. The inner diameter of the second portion 68b gradually tapers toward the distal end. The inner diameter of the intermediate portion (middle in the axial direction) of the through hole 65 is constant regardless of the axial position. The inner diameter of the distal end of the through hole 65 gradually increases toward the distal end. 10 , the inner diameter of the tip of the second portion 68b is larger than the inner diameter of the intermediate portion of the through hole 65, and a step surface 68c is formed at the boundary between the second portion 68b and the intermediate portion of the through hole 65. When the first member 60 is viewed from the base end side, the step surface 68c is formed in an annular shape, and its plate surface faces the base end side. The outer periphery of the step surface 68c is connected to the tip of the second portion 68b, and the inner periphery of the step surface 68c is connected to the base end of the intermediate portion of the through hole 65. The opening on the tip side of the through hole 65 forms the discharge port 42 and has a larger diameter than the opening on the base end side of the through hole 65.

[0066] As described above, the first opposing surface 64 of the first member 60 has a groove recessed toward the side opposite the second member 70. More specifically, in this embodiment, the rear surface of the plate-shaped portion 63 constitutes the first opposing surface 64, and the rear surface of the plate-shaped portion 63 is formed with, for example, a first groove 66 and a plurality (e.g., three) second grooves 67, each recessed toward the distal end. The rear surface (first opposing surface 64) of the plate-shaped portion 63 is flat except for the areas where the first groove 66, the plurality of second grooves 67, and the through hole 65 are formed, and the plate surface is arranged facing the axial direction. The first groove 66 is formed 360 degrees around the outer periphery of the plate-shaped portion 63. Each of the plurality of second grooves 67 is formed from the inner periphery of the first groove 66 to the outer periphery of the base end of the through hole 65. The second grooves 67 are formed to have the same width and depth, for example. When the first member 60 is viewed from the base end side, the through hole 65 is disposed inside (radially inward) the first groove 66 and concentrically with the first groove 66. When the first member 60 is viewed from the base end side, the second grooves 67 are disposed radially around the axis of the through hole 65 as the center C1. More specifically, the outer (radially outward) end of each of the second grooves 67 communicates with the first groove 66, and the inner (radially inward) end of each of the second grooves 67 communicates with the reduced diameter portion 68 of the through hole 65. The second grooves 67 are disposed at equal angular intervals around the center C1.

[0067] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the second member 70 has a cylindrical portion 71 formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction. The inner cavity of the cylindrical portion 71 is indirectly or directly connected to the inner cavity of the horizontal tube 13 of the dispenser body 10. In this embodiment, the axis of the cylindrical portion 71 is arranged coaxially with the axis of the horizontal tube 13. However, in the present invention, the axis of the cylindrical portion 71 and the axis of the horizontal tube 13 may be offset from each other. The tip of the cylindrical portion 71 forms a holding portion 72 that holds the first member 60. The second member 70 also has an insertion portion 73 that is inserted into the inner cavity of the first member 60. The insertion portion 73 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction. The insertion portion 73 is arranged in the inner cavity of the tip (holding portion 72) of the cylindrical portion 71, and a portion of the insertion portion 73 is connected to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 71. In this embodiment, in the axial direction of the liquid discharge nozzle 40, the front surface of the insertion portion 73 is parallel to and faces the rear surface (first opposing surface 64) of the plate-like portion 63 of the first member 60, constituting the second opposing surface 74 of the second member 70. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 , the insertion portion 73 is formed with multiple (e.g., three) notch-shaped portions 75 that penetrate the insertion portion 73 from the front surface to the rear surface. As shown in FIG. 7 , the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal space of each of the multiple notch-shaped portions 75 is relatively large at the tip of the notch-shaped portion 75 and relatively small in the portion closer to the base end than the tip, and steps 75a are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the notch-shaped portion 75. Each of the multiple notch-shaped portions 75 is arranged at equal angular intervals around the axis AX1 of the liquid discharge nozzle 40. Each of the multiple notch-shaped portions 75 is formed, for example, with the same width and depth. The front surface (second opposing surface 74) and rear surface of the insertion portion 73 are each formed flat except for the areas where the multiple second opposing surfaces 74 are formed, and the plate surfaces are arranged facing the axial direction.

[0068] 7 , the first member 60 and the second member 70 are assembled together by fitting the cylindrical portion 61 of the first member 60 into the inner cavity of the holding portion 72 of the second member 70 and fitting the insertion portion 73 of the second member 70 into the inner cavity of the cylindrical portion 61 of the first member 60. Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 61, the plate-like portion 63, and the through-hole 65 of the first member 60 and the cylindrical portion 71 and the insertion portion 73 of the second member 70 are arranged coaxially with respect to a common axis (axis center AX1 of the liquid discharge nozzle 40). The first member 60 and the second member 70 are assembled together by bringing the cylindrical portions 71 of the first member 60 and the second member 70 closer to each other in the direction of the axis AX1.

[0069] 7 , in the axial direction of the liquid discharge nozzle 40, the rear surface (first opposing surface 64) of the plate-like portion 63 of the first member 60 and the front surface (second opposing surface 74) of the insertion portion 73 of the second member 70 are arranged parallel to and facing each other, forming a gap 76. The gap 76 between the rear surface (first opposing surface 64) of the plate-like portion 63 of the first member 60 and the front surface (second opposing surface 74) of the insertion portion 73 of the second member 70 constitutes a flow velocity buffering region 85. Note that the internal space of the grooves (first groove portion 66 and second groove portion 67) formed in the rear surface (first opposing surface 64) of the plate-like portion 63 is not included in the flow velocity buffering region 85. That is, the gap 76 (flow velocity buffering region 85) referred to here is the gap between the groove-free region on the rear surface (first opposing surface 64) of the plate-shaped portion 63 and the front surface (second opposing surface 74) of the insertion portion 73 of the second member 70. The flow velocity buffering region 85 is a flat, disk-shaped space defined by the rear surface (first opposing surface 64) of the plate-shaped portion 63, the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 61, and the front surface (second opposing surface 74) of the insertion portion 73. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the flow velocity buffering region 85 may be a cylindrical space or a prismatic space. In the tubular portion 71 of the second member 70, the internal space on the base end side of the front surface (second opposing surface 74) of the insertion portion 73 of the second member 70 constitutes the nozzle flow path 81 described above and is connected to the feed path of the dispenser main body 10. More specifically, the liquid delivered by the pump 20 flows into the cylindrical portion 71 of the second member 70 via the horizontal tube 13, passes through the internal spaces of the plurality of notched portions 75, and is narrowed before expanding and flowing into the flow rate buffering region 85. In the through hole 65 of the first member 60, the internal space of the portion distal to the reduced diameter portion 68 (the distal end and intermediate portion) constitutes the discharge path 83, and the distal opening of the through hole 65 constitutes the discharge port 42. The internal space of the reduced diameter portion 68 of the through hole 65 constitutes the converging flow path 88. The distal end of the converging flow path 88 is directly connected to the discharge path 83, and the proximal end of the converging flow path 88 is directly connected to the swirling flow path 87 and the flow rate buffering region 85. In the first opposing surface 64 of the first member 60, the internal space of the first groove portion 66 constitutes the circulating flow path 87a, and the internal spaces of the plurality of second groove portions 67 each constitute a radial flow path 87b.The base end of the circulating flow path 87 a and the base ends of the multiple radial flow paths 87 b are each directly connected to the flow rate buffering region 85. Furthermore, the inner (radially inner) end of each of the multiple radial flow paths 87 b is directly connected to the confluence flow path 88. In the present embodiment, of the liquid delivered by the pump 20 to the nozzle flow path 81 via the feed path of the dispenser body 10, a portion of the liquid is supplied to the discharge path 83 via the flow rate buffering region 85, the swirl flow path 87, and the confluence flow path 88 in this order, while the other portion of the liquid flows directly from the flow rate buffering region 85 into the confluence flow path 88 and is then supplied to the discharge path 83. With this configuration, the liquid whose swirl flow has been suppressed within the flow rate buffering region and the liquid to which a swirl flow has been imparted by the swirl flow path 87 are confluent in the confluence flow path 88, and the confluent liquid can flow through the confluence flow path 88 into the discharge path 83 while being narrowed. This allows the liquid to be sprayed over a longer distance while maintaining a sufficient adhesion rate and outer diameter of the adhesion pattern of the liquid sprayed from the outlet 42 onto the target surface 310.

[0070] In this embodiment, the width dimension of each of the plurality of radial flow paths 87b (the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the radial flow paths 87b) gradually narrows toward the discharge path 83. This configuration makes it possible to impart a sufficient swirling flow to the liquid flowing through the plurality of radial flow paths 87b. More specifically, the width dimension of each of the plurality of second groove portions 67 gradually narrows toward the through hole 65.

[0071] As described above, a step surface 68c is formed at the boundary between the second portion 68b of the reduced diameter portion 68 and the intermediate portion of the through hole 65. That is, a step surface 68c is formed at the boundary between the converging flow path 88 and the discharge path 83. With this configuration, a portion of the liquid that flows directly from the flow velocity buffering region 85 toward the converging flow path 88 collides with the step surface 68c and then flows along the step surface 68c into the discharge path 83. Similarly, a portion of the liquid that swirls around the second portion 68b of the reduced diameter portion 68 collides with the step surface 68c and then flows along the step surface 68c into the discharge path 83. This appropriately suppresses the swirling flow of the liquid flowing into the discharge path 83.

[0072] 11 , when the first member 60 is viewed from the base end side, each of the multiple second grooves 67 (radial flow paths 87 b) extends linearly inward from the outer periphery of the first opposing surface 64 and in a direction offset radially outward from the center C1 of the cylindrical portion 61. More specifically, each of the multiple second grooves 67 has a pair of inner side surfaces 67 a, 67 b that face each other parallel to one another in a direction that includes a circumferential component. Of the pair of inner side surfaces 67 a, 67 b, the leading edge of the inner side surface 67 a on the side facing the swirling direction of the liquid in the converging flow path 88 (arrow A shown in FIG. 11 ) is in contact with the base end edge of the first portion 68 a of the reduced diameter portion 68, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 . 11 , a virtual straight line 410 passing through the inner surface 67b opposite the swirling direction intersects with the inner circumferential edge of the second portion 68b of the reduced diameter portion 68 and the stepped surface 68c. With this configuration, liquid flowing linearly along the inner surface 67a on the swirling direction side can smoothly flow from the second groove 67 into the first portion 68a of the reduced diameter portion 68 and can then flow toward the discharge path 83 while swirling sufficiently along the inner circumferential surface of the first portion 68a. On the other hand, liquid flowing linearly along the inner surface 67b opposite the swirling direction can be quickly guided toward the discharge path 83 by the second portion 68b of the reduced diameter portion 68, which gradually reduces in diameter toward the tip side, and collides with the stepped surface 68c. This makes it possible to ensure a sufficient flow rate of the liquid that flows into the merging channel 88 along the inner surface 67a on the swirling direction side, while appropriately suppressing the flow rate of the liquid that flows into the merging channel 88 along the inner surface 67b on the opposite side to the swirling direction. This makes it possible to prevent the swirling of the liquid that first flows into the merging channel 88 along the inner surface 67a on the swirling direction side from being hindered by the flow of the liquid that later flows into the merging channel 88 along the inner surface 67b on the opposite side to the swirling direction. In other words, a sufficient swirling flow can be imparted to the liquid that flows into the merging channel 88 along the inner surface 67a on the swirling direction side.

[0073] Furthermore, the length of the merging flow path 88 in the axial direction of the nozzle body is smaller than the length of the discharge path 83. The maximum value of the inner diameter of the merging flow path 88 is larger than the maximum value of the inner diameter of the discharge path 83. Furthermore, in a cross section taken along the axis AX1 of the liquid discharge nozzle 40, the inclination angle of the inner circumferential surface of the second portion 68b of the reduced diameter section 68 with respect to the axis AX1 of the liquid discharge nozzle 40 is, for example, between 30 degrees and 60 degrees. With this configuration, the liquid that has flowed into the merging flow path 88 can be effectively swirled in the circumferential direction, and the liquid can be sufficiently narrowed before flowing into the discharge path 83.

[0074] Furthermore, as described above, the inner diameter of the tip of the through-hole 65 gradually increases toward the tip, which allows the liquid narrowed by the discharge path 83 to be dispersed more effectively when it is discharged from the discharge port 42.

[0075] [Modifications] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes various modifications and improvements as long as the object of the present invention is achieved.

[0076] For example, in the present invention, the number of radiation flow paths 87b provided in the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 and the width dimension of the radiation flow paths 87b are not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and can be set appropriately depending on the desired spray distance, liquid adhesion rate and adhesion pattern, type of liquid, etc.

[0077] Furthermore, in the present invention, an example has been described in which the flow velocity buffering region 85 is formed by a gap between opposing surfaces of separate members (the first member 60 and the second member 70), but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the flow velocity buffering region 85 may be formed, for example, by a gap between a pair of opposing surfaces of a single member.

[0078] Furthermore, the various components of the trigger-type liquid ejector 100 do not need to be independent entities, and it is acceptable for multiple components to be formed as a single member, for one component to be formed from multiple members, for one component to be part of another component, or for part of one component to overlap with part of another component, etc.

[0079] In the first and second embodiments described above, the discharge ports (311a and 42) of the liquid discharge nozzles (240' and 40) are described as being circular or disk-shaped, but are not limited thereto and may be formed in various shapes including an elliptical shape. Modified examples of the discharge ports will be described below with reference to Figures 17 to 20.

[0080] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the liquid discharge nozzle 40'' according to the modified example has a discharge section 45'' that discharges liquid outward, similar to the liquid discharge nozzle 40 according to the second embodiment described above, and the discharge section 45'' has a discharge port 42''. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, the liquid discharge nozzle 40'' according to the modified example has a nozzle main body 50'' that is detachable from the tip of a horizontal tube (not shown) of a discharger main body (not shown).

[0081] As shown in Fig. 18, the liquid discharge nozzle 40'' according to the modified example has a flow velocity buffering region 85''. On the other hand, the discharge port 42'' included in the discharge section 45'' of the liquid discharge nozzle 40'' according to the modified example is formed in an elliptical shape having a major axis and a minor axis when viewed from the front (see Fig. 19) or from the rear (see Fig. 18).

[0082] Specifically, as shown in Figure 17, the liquid discharge nozzle 40" according to the modified example has a disk-shaped discharge portion 45" formed on the radially inner side of a nozzle body 50", and a linear notch that extends radially and has a V-shaped cross section is formed in the discharge portion 45". Furthermore, a discharge port 42" is formed in the discharge portion 45" along the vertical direction within the notch.

[0083] In the liquid discharge nozzle 40'' according to the modified example, the discharge port 42'' is formed in an elliptical shape that is elongated in the vertical direction when viewed from the front or rear as shown in FIG. 19. Note that the discharge port 42'' according to the modified example is formed to have an arc-shaped cross section with the central portion curved forward (in the discharge direction), as shown in FIG. 20. In this way, by having the central portion of the discharge port 42'' curved in the discharge direction, the liquid discharged from the discharge port 42'' can be dispersed more effectively compared to when the discharge port 42'' is formed to have a linear cross section.

[0084] It is clear from the claims that the above modifications are included within the scope of the present invention.

[0085] In relation to the above-described embodiments, the present invention further discloses the following trigger-type liquid dispenser and trigger-type spray container.

[0086] <1> A trigger-type liquid dispenser comprising a dispenser body incorporating a pump capable of sucking in and pressure-feeding liquid within a container body, an operating lever for operating the pump, and a liquid discharge nozzle for discharging liquid by operation of the pump, wherein the liquid discharge nozzle has: a discharge port capable of discharging liquid; a nozzle flow path for circulating liquid pressure-fed from the pump toward the discharge port; and a space formed between the discharge port and the nozzle flow path and communicating with the discharge port and the nozzle flow path, wherein a cross-sectional area of ​​the space is larger than a cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle flow path.

[0087] <2> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to <1>, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the space is 5 times or more and 2000 times or less the cross-sectional area of ​​the ejection port.

[0088] <3> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to <1> or <2>, wherein the volume of the space is 5 times or more and 3000 times or less the volume of the opening of the ejection port.

[0089] <4> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of <1> to <3>, wherein a plurality of the nozzle flow paths are provided.

[0090] <5> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of <1> to <4>, wherein the ejection port and the nozzle flow path are not arranged on the same line.

[0091] <6> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the opening diameter of the ejection port is 0.1 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

[0092] <7> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein the ejection port has an elliptical shape when viewed from the front or rear.

[0093] <8> The trigger-type liquid ejector described in any one of <1> to <7>, wherein the liquid ejection nozzle further comprises: an outer body having a circular front wall and a circumferential wall extending rearward from the entire outer peripheral edge of the front wall; and an inner body provided inside and rearward of the outer body, the inner body having a circular front surface facing the front wall and a circular rear surface facing the front surface, wherein the ejection port is provided in the center of the front wall, the nozzle flow path is formed penetrating from the front surface to the rear surface, and the space is a cylindrical space defined by the inner surface of the front wall, the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall, and the front surface.

[0094] <9> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of <1> to <8>, wherein the liquid ejection nozzle further includes an ejection path that throttles and ejects the liquid that has flowed in from the nozzle flow path, and a ratio of a length dimension of the ejection path to an opening diameter of the ejection outlet (length dimension of the ejection path / opening diameter of the ejection outlet) is 1.75 or more and 10.0 or less.

[0095] <10> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of <1> to <8>, wherein the liquid ejection nozzle further includes an ejection path that throttles and ejects the liquid that has flowed in from the nozzle flow path, and the length dimension of the ejection path is greater than the opening diameter of the ejection port.

[0096] <11> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to <9> or <10>, wherein the length of the ejection path is 0.175 mm or more and 3 mm or less.

[0097] <12> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of <9> to <11>, wherein the ejection port has a swirl flow path that swirls the liquid that has flowed in from the nozzle flow path and supplies it to the ejection path, and the space is between the nozzle flow path and the swirl flow path.

[0098] <13> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to <12>, comprising: a first member; and a second member to which the first member is assembled, wherein the first member and the second member each have opposing surfaces that face each other in the axial direction of the liquid ejection nozzle, the opposing surface of the first member has a groove portion that is recessed toward the side opposite to the second member, and the groove portion constitutes the swirling flow path, a gap is formed between the opposing surface of the first member and the opposing surface of the second member, the gap constitutes the space, and the groove portion and the gap are directly connected to each other.

[0099] <14> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to <12> or <13>, wherein a cross-sectional area of ​​the space is larger than a cross-sectional area of ​​the swirl flow path.

[0100] <15> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of <12> to <14>, wherein a ratio of the volume of the space to the volume of the swirl flow path (volume of the space / volume of the swirl flow path) is 0.1 or more and 100 or less.

[0101] <16> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of <12> to <15>, wherein the swirling flow path includes a circumferential flow path extending circumferentially along the circumferential direction of the liquid ejection nozzle, and a plurality of radial flow paths extending radially from the circumferential flow path toward the ejection path, and a portion of the liquid that has flowed into the space passes through the circumferential flow path and the plurality of radial flow paths and flows into the ejection path.

[0102] <17> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to <16>, wherein the width dimension of each of the plurality of radiation flow paths gradually narrows toward the ejection path.

[0103] <18> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of <1> to <17>, wherein an adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to a target surface placed at a spray distance of 80 cm from the liquid ejection nozzle is 25% or more and 100% or less, and an outer diameter of an adhesion pattern of the liquid on the target surface is 90 mm or more and 210 mm or less.

[0104] <19> The trigger-type liquid dispenser according to any one of <1> to <18>, wherein the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to a target surface placed at a spray distance of 40 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle is 65% or more and 100% or less, and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern on the target surface is 75 mm or more and 180 mm or less.

[0105] <20> The trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of <1> to <19>, wherein the container body is configured to be able to contain a liquid having a viscosity of 1 mPa·s or more and 500 mPa·s or less.

[0106] <21> A trigger-type spray container comprising: a container body capable of containing a liquid; and the trigger-type liquid dispenser according to any one of <1> to <21>.

[0107] <22> The trigger-type spray container according to <21>, wherein the container body includes a pump having a cylinder and a piston.

[0108] <23> The trigger-type spray container according to <21> or <22>, wherein the container body has an attachment cap configured to be attachable to a nozzle of the container body, a vertical tube extending upward from the attachment cap, and a holding portion extending forward from an upper end of the vertical tube.

[0109] <24> The trigger-type spray container according to <23>, wherein the container body has a trigger, and the trigger is provided by extending downward from a horizontal tube that extends in a width direction from the attachment cap.

[0110] <25> The trigger-type spray container according to any one of <21> to <24>, which is configured as a pressure accumulation type.

[0111] The present invention will be specifically described below based on examples, but the object of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0112] [Example 1 and Comparative Example 1] The inventors conducted a comparative experiment on the straightness of the liquid ejected from the ejection port 311a' using a trigger-type liquid ejector (Example 1) having the same configuration as the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' according to the present embodiment, and a trigger-type liquid ejector (Comparative Example 1) having the same configuration as the trigger-type liquid ejector 200' according to the present embodiment except that it does not have the flow velocity buffering region 330' according to the present embodiment but has the second groove portion and spin grooves described in Patent Document 1. Both the trigger-type liquid ejectors according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were used in a state attached to a container body having the same configuration as the container body 100' according to the present embodiment, and the liquid used was a clothing deodorizer (trade name Febreze, manufactured by P&G) with a viscosity of 3.5 mPa s.

[0113] In the trigger-type liquid ejectors according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, the minimum diameter of the ejection port 311a' was 0.8 mm, the length of the ejection port 311a' along the liquid ejection direction at the minimum diameter (the length of the ejection path) was 0.25 mm, and the opening volume of the ejection port 311a' was 0.1256 mm3, calculated as (0.8 / 2)2 x 3.14 (pi) x 0.25 mm. Furthermore, in the trigger-type liquid ejectors according to the examples, the spatial volume of the flow velocity buffering region 330' was 704.375 times the opening volume of the ejection port 311a'. The diameter of the flow velocity buffering region 330' was 3.5 mm, the length of the flow velocity buffering region 330' along the liquid ejection direction was 9.2 mm, and the spatial volume of the flow velocity buffering region 330' was 88.4695 mm3, calculated as (3.5 / 2)2 x 3.14 (pi) x 9.2.

[0114] In a comparative experiment, the liquid immediately after ejection was photographed with a high-speed camera (manufactured by Vision Research, Inc.: product name Phantom LC310), and the straightness of the liquid ejected from the ejection port 311a' was compared. As shown in Figure 4, when liquid was ejected using the trigger-type liquid ejector of Example 1, the ejected liquid flowed in a straight line without any fluctuations in strength. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5, when liquid was ejected using the trigger-type liquid ejector of Comparative Example 1, the ejected liquid flow varied in strength, causing scattering.

[0115] From the above comparative experiment, it can be seen that the liquid ejected from the trigger-type liquid ejector according to Example 1 has a higher degree of straightness. Therefore, by providing the trigger-type liquid ejector with the flow velocity buffering region 330', it is possible to eject liquid with a high degree of straightness, and as a result, it is clear that the ejection distance of the liquid can be increased.

[0116] [Examples 2 to 7 and Comparative Examples 2 to 4] Examples 2 to 7 and Comparative Examples 2 to 4 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16B and Tables 1 and 2.

[0117] In Examples 2 to 6 and Comparative Examples 2 and 3, evaluation tests were conducted to evaluate the adhesion rate and adhesion pattern of the liquid sprayed from the trigger-type spray container. In the evaluation tests, the trigger-type spray container was positioned so that the axis of the liquid discharge nozzle was perpendicular to the target surfaces, and the liquid was sprayed onto a first target surface (e.g., a water-absorbent paper sheet) and a second target surface (e.g., a water-discoloring paper sheet). The mass of the liquid discharged from the trigger-type spray container and the mass of the liquid adhered to the first target surface, and their ratio (adhesion rate), were then measured. The "mass of the discharged liquid" is the value obtained by multiplying the amount of liquid discharged in one discharge operation by the specific gravity of the liquid, and the "mass of the liquid adhered to the first target surface" is the difference between the mass of the second target surface before the liquid adhered and the mass of the second target surface after the liquid adhered. Furthermore, within 5 seconds of the moment the liquid adhered to the second target surface, an image of the adhesion pattern formed on the second target surface was captured, and the maximum outer diameter of the adhesion pattern on the captured image was measured. In Example 7 and Comparative Example 4, to measure the maximum spray distance of a liquid from a trigger-type spray container, the liquid was sprayed into the air using the trigger-type spray container, and the spray pattern of the sprayed liquid was photographed. Note that in Examples 2 to 7 and Comparative Examples 2 to 4, a pressure-accumulator type trigger-type spray container was used. Furthermore, in Examples 2 to 4 and 7, a trigger-type spray container was used in which the ratio of the length of the discharge path to the opening diameter of the discharge port (length of the discharge path / opening diameter of the discharge port) was 2.0. In Examples 2 to 4 and 7, the length of the discharge path was 0.6 mm, the opening diameter of the discharge port was 0.3 mm, the length of the flow rate buffering region was 0.1 mm, and the volume of the flow rate buffering region was 0.962 mm3. In Example 5, a trigger-type spray container was used in which the ratio of the length of the discharge path to the opening diameter of the discharge port (same as above) was 2.5. In Example 5, the length of the discharge path was 0.75 mm, the opening diameter of the discharge port was 0.3 mm, the length of the flow rate buffering region was 0.1 mm, and the volume of the flow rate buffering region was 0.962 mm3. In Example 6, a trigger-type spray container was used in which the ratio of the length of the discharge path to the opening diameter of the discharge port (same as above) was 3.0.In Example 6, the length of the discharge channel was 0.9 mm, the opening diameter of the discharge port was 0.3 mm, the length of the flow rate buffering region was 0.1 mm, and the volume of the flow rate buffering region was 0.962 mm3. In Comparative Examples 2 to 4, trigger-type spray containers were used that were similarly configured to the trigger-type spray containers used in Examples 2 to 7, except that the ratio of the length of the discharge channel to the opening diameter of the discharge port (length of the discharge channel / opening diameter of the discharge port) was 1.5 and that the flow rate buffering region was not provided (the length of the flow rate buffering region was 0 mm). In Comparative Examples 2 to 4, the length of the discharge channel was 0.6 mm and the opening diameter of the discharge port was 0.4 mm. Furthermore, in Example 2 and Comparative Example 2, two target surfaces were prepared as the first target surface: one placed at a spray distance of 40 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle, and the other placed at a spray distance of 80 cm. The above-described evaluation test was performed on both target surfaces. Similarly, as the second target surfaces, a target surface placed at a spray distance of 40 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle and a target surface placed at the spray distance of 80 cm were prepared, and the above-mentioned evaluation test was performed on both target surfaces. In Examples 3 to 6 and Comparative Example 3, as the first target surfaces, a target surface placed at a spray distance of 20 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle, a target surface placed at the spray distance of 40 cm, a target surface placed at the spray distance of 60 cm, a target surface placed at the spray distance of 70 cm, a target surface placed at the spray distance of 80 cm, a target surface placed at the spray distance of 90 cm, and a target surface placed at the spray distance of 100 cm were prepared, and the above-mentioned evaluation test was performed on each target surface. Similarly, as second target surfaces, a target surface placed at a spray distance of 20 cm from the liquid discharge nozzle, a target surface placed at a spray distance of 40 cm, a target surface placed at a spray distance of 60 cm, a target surface placed at a spray distance of 70 cm, a target surface placed at a spray distance of 80 cm, a target surface placed at a spray distance of 90 cm, and a target surface placed at a spray distance of 100 cm were prepared, and the above-mentioned evaluation test was performed on each of the target surfaces.

[0118] First, the results of Example 2 and Comparative Example 2 are shown in Table 1 below.

[0119]

[0120] As shown in Table 1, on a target surface placed at a spray distance of 40 cm, Example 2 showed a higher liquid adhesion rate and a larger liquid adhesion pattern diameter than Comparative Example 2. On a target surface placed at a spray distance of 80 cm, Example 2 also showed a higher liquid adhesion rate than Comparative Example 2. Furthermore, in this case, the diameter of the liquid adhesion pattern was 138 mm in Example 2, whereas in Comparative Example 2, sufficient liquid was not adhered to the target surface to form a adhesion pattern, and therefore the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern could not be measured.

[0121] Next, the results of Example 3 and Comparative Example 3 are shown in the graph of Figure 14. In Figure 14, the vertical axis on the left side represents the outer diameter (mm) of the adhesion pattern, and the horizontal axis represents the spray distance (cm) from the liquid discharge nozzle. More specifically, the graph in Figure 14 shows the change in the maximum outer diameter of the adhesion pattern for each spray distance, based on the height position of the discharge port relative to the mounting surface of the trigger-type spray container in the vertical direction (gravity direction) (for example, a position 200 mm above the mounting surface). Also, in Figure 14, the vertical axis on the right side plots the non-adhesion rate of liquid (%), and the horizontal axis plots the spray distance (cm) from the liquid discharge nozzle. As mentioned above, the "liquid adhesion rate" is the mass of liquid adhered to the target surface / the mass of liquid discharged from the liquid discharge nozzle × 100, and the "liquid non-adhesion rate" here can be determined from the adhesion rate calculated using the above formula. As shown in Figure 14, in Example 3, the adhesion rate for the target surface placed at a spray distance of 40 cm was approximately 100%, and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern was approximately 175 mm, whereas in Comparative Example 2, the adhesion rate for the target surface placed at a spray distance of 40 cm was approximately 70%, and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern was approximately 150 mm. Also, in Example 3, the adhesion rate for the target surface placed at a spray distance of 60 cm was approximately 80%, and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern was approximately 190 mm, whereas in Comparative Example 3, the adhesion rate for the target surface placed at a spray distance of 60 cm was approximately 35%, and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern was approximately 135 mm. Furthermore, in Comparative Example 3, the liquid did not sufficiently reach (adhere to) the target surface placed at a spray distance of 80 cm, so the adhesion rate and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern could not be measured. On the other hand, in Example 3, it was found that even on a target surface placed at a spray distance of 80 cm, an adhesion rate of approximately 55% was maintained, and an outer diameter of the adhesion pattern was maintained at approximately 150 mm. Furthermore, in Example 3, it was found that even on a target surface placed at a spray distance of 100 cm, a deposition rate of about 30% could be maintained and an outer diameter of the deposition pattern of about 125 mm could be maintained.

[0122] Next, the results of Examples 4 to 6 are shown in Table 2 below and in the graph of Fig. 15. In Fig. 15, similar to Fig. 14, the vertical axis on the left side indicates the outer diameter (mm) of the adhesion pattern, the vertical axis on the right side indicates the non-adhesion rate (%) of the liquid, and the horizontal axis indicates the spray distance (cm) from the liquid discharge nozzle.

[0123]

[0124] 15 and Table 2, it was found that in all of Examples 4 to 6, the adhesion rate to the target surface placed at a spray distance of 80 cm was 50% or more, and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern was 110 mm or more. Similarly, it was found that in all of Examples 4 to 6, the adhesion rate to the target surface placed at a spray distance of 40 cm was 90% or more, and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern was 80 mm or more.

[0125] 16A and 16B show images of the liquid spray patterns captured in Example 7 and Comparative Example 4. As shown in Fig. 16A and 16B, when the liquid was sprayed toward the air, it was found that the liquid reached a greater distance in Example 7 than in Comparative Example 4.

[0126] From these results, it is believed that by setting the ratio of the length dimension of the discharge path 83 to the opening diameter of the discharge port 42 (length dimension of the discharge path 83 / opening diameter of the discharge port 42) to be 2.0 or more and 4.0 or less, it is possible to realize a trigger-type liquid discharger that can spray liquid over longer distances while sufficiently maintaining the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to the target surface and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern.

[0127] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1': Trigger-type spray container 100': Container body 110': Mouth tube 200': Trigger-type liquid dispenser 210': Dispenser body 211': Cap member 212a': Neck portion 212b': Intake 212c': Communication hole 212d': Suction valve 212e': Discharge valve 212': Vertical tube 213': Horizontal tube 214': Holding portion 215': Head cover 216': Pipe 220': Pump 221': Cylinder 222': Piston 223': Seal portion 224': Pump chamber 230': Operating lever 240': Liquid discharge nozzle 300': Nozzle body 310': Outer body 311a': Discharge port DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 311': Front wall 312': Peripheral wall 320': Inner main body 321': Front surface 322': Rear surface 323': Peripheral surface 324': Nozzle flow path 330': Flow velocity buffering area 400': Nozzle cover 10 Main body 11 Cap member 12 Vertical cylinder 13 Horizontal cylinder 14 Holding portion 20 Pump 21 Cylinder 22 Piston 30 Operating lever 40 Liquid discharge nozzle 42 Discharge port 45 Discharge portion 50 Nozzle main body 60 First member 64 First opposing surface (opposing surface of first member) 65 Through hole 70 Second member 74 Second opposing surface (opposing surface of second member) 76 Gap 81 Nozzle flow path 83 Discharge path 85 Flow velocity buffering area 87 Swirling flow path 87a Circulating flow path 87b Radiation flow path 88 Merging flow path 100 Trigger type liquid dispenser 200 Trigger type spray container 300 Liquid-filled trigger type spray container 40": Liquid discharge nozzle 42": Discharge port 45": Discharge section 50": Nozzle body 85": Flow velocity buffering area

Claims

1. A trigger-type liquid ejector comprising a ejector body incorporating a pump capable of sucking in and pumping liquid in a container body, an operating lever for operating the pump, and a liquid ejection nozzle for ejecting liquid by operating the pump, wherein the liquid ejection nozzle has: an ejection outlet capable of ejecting liquid; a nozzle flow path for circulating liquid pumped from the pump toward the ejection outlet; and a space formed between the ejection outlet and the nozzle flow path and communicating with the ejection outlet and the nozzle flow path, wherein a cross-sectional area of ​​the space is larger than a cross-sectional area of ​​the nozzle flow path.

2. The trigger type liquid ejector according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the space is 5 times or more and 2000 times or less than the cross-sectional area of ​​the ejection port.

3. The trigger type liquid ejector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the volume of the space is 5 times or more and 3000 times or less the volume of the opening of the ejection port.

4. The trigger type liquid ejector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of the nozzle flow paths are provided.

5. The trigger type liquid ejector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ejection port and the nozzle flow path are not arranged on the same line.

6. The trigger type liquid ejector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the opening diameter of the ejection port is 0.1 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

7. The trigger type liquid ejector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ejection port has an elliptical shape when viewed from the front or rear.

8. A trigger-type liquid ejector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the liquid ejection nozzle further comprises an outer body having a circular front wall and a circumferential wall extending rearward from the entire outer circumferential edge of the front wall, and an inner body provided inside and to the rear of the outer body and having a circular front surface facing the front wall and a circular rear surface facing the front surface, wherein the ejection port is provided in the center of the front wall, the nozzle flow path is formed penetrating from the front surface to the rear surface, and the space is a cylindrical space defined by the inner surface of the front wall, the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall, and the front surface.

9. A trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the liquid ejection nozzle further includes an ejection passage that throttles and ejects the liquid that has flowed in from the nozzle flow path, and the ratio of the length dimension of the ejection passage to the opening diameter of the ejection port (length dimension of the ejection passage / opening diameter of the ejection port) is 1.75 or more and 10.0 or less.

10. A trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the liquid ejection nozzle further includes an ejection path that throttles and ejects the liquid that has flowed in from the nozzle flow path, and the length dimension of the ejection path is greater than the opening diameter of the ejection port.

11. The trigger type liquid ejector according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the length of the ejection path is 0.175 mm or more and 3 mm or less.

12. A trigger-type liquid ejector as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the ejection port has a swirling flow path which swirls the liquid flowing in from the nozzle flow path and supplies it to the ejection passage, and the space is between the nozzle flow path and the swirling flow path.

13. A trigger-type liquid ejector as described in claim 12, comprising: a first member; and a second member to which the first member is assembled, wherein the first member and the second member each have opposing surfaces that face each other in the axial direction of the liquid ejection nozzle, the opposing surface of the first member has a groove portion formed thereon that is recessed toward the side opposite the second member, and the groove portion constitutes the swirling flow path, a gap is formed between the opposing surface of the first member and the opposing surface of the second member, the gap constitutes the space, and the groove portion and the gap are directly connected to each other.

14. The trigger type liquid dispenser according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the cross-sectional area of ​​the space is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the swirling flow path.

15. A trigger-type liquid ejector according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the ratio of the volume of the space to the volume of the swirling flow path (volume of the space / volume of the swirling flow path) is 0.1 or more and 100 or less.

16. A trigger-type liquid ejector as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the swirling flow path includes a circumferential flow path extending circularly along the circumferential direction of the liquid ejection nozzle, and a plurality of radial flow paths extending radially from the circumferential flow path towards the ejection path, and a portion of the liquid that flows into the space passes through the circumferential flow path and the plurality of radial flow paths and flows into the ejection path.

17. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 16, wherein the width dimension of each of the plurality of radial flow paths gradually narrows toward the ejection path.

18. A trigger-type liquid ejector as described in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to a target surface placed at a spray distance of 80 cm from the liquid ejection nozzle is 25% or more and 100% or less, and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern of the liquid on the target surface is 90 mm or more and 210 mm or less.

19. A trigger-type liquid ejector as described in any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the adhesion rate of the liquid adhering to a target surface placed at a spray distance of 40 cm from the liquid ejection nozzle is 65% or more and 100% or less, and the outer diameter of the adhesion pattern on the target surface is 75 mm or more and 180 mm or less.

20. A trigger-type liquid dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the container body is configured to be capable of containing a liquid having a viscosity of 1 mPa·s or more and 500 mPa·s or less.

21. A trigger-type spray container comprising: a container body capable of containing liquid; and a trigger-type liquid dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

22. The trigger-type spray container according to claim 21, wherein the container body includes a pump having a cylinder and a piston.

23. A trigger-type spray container as described in claim 21 or 22, wherein the container body has an attachment cap configured to be attached to the mouth of the container body, a vertical tube extending upward from the attachment cap, and a holding portion extending forward from the upper end of the vertical tube.

24. The trigger-type spray container according to claim 23, wherein the container body has a trigger, and the trigger is provided extending downward from a horizontal tube extending in the width direction from the mounting cap.

25. The trigger-type spray container according to any one of claims 21 to 24, which is configured as a pressure accumulation type.

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