Pump-type dispenser

Abstract

A pump-type dispenser capable of dispensing liquid contents in the same manner as a conventional dispenser and that additionally has excellent recyclability is proposed.　This pump-type dispenser (100) comprises: a pump that is driven by a stem (7a) moving forward and backward; and a head (12) that has a dispensing port (12d) and is connected to the stem (7a). The cap (10) has a female screw part (10c) provided on the inner circumferential surface of a circumferential wall (10b) and a top wall (10a) extending radially inward from the circumferential wall (10b), and an extension part (12e) is provided to either the head (12) or the cap (10), and an elastic piece (10e) that is bent by the extension part (12e) is provided to the other of the head (12) and the cap (10). The top wall (10a) has an outer annular wall (10f) that is positioned radially outward of the extension part (12e) or the elastic piece (10e) of the top wall (10a) and that protrudes from a surface of the top wall (10a) on the side opposite to the side on which the female screw part (10c) is positioned.

Description

Pump-type dispenser

[0001] The present invention relates to a pump-type dispenser.

[0002] A known pump-type dispenser includes a cap that is attached to the mouth of a container, a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap and is driven by the back and forth movement of a stem, and a head that is connected to the stem; the liquid contents in the container are dispensed from the discharge port of the head by moving the head toward the cap (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] As shown in Patent Document 1, a coil spring is provided inside such a pump-type dispenser to return the head, which has been moved toward the cap, to its initial position.

[0004] JP 2011-31950 A

[0005] However, while most of the components of such pump-type dispensers are made of synthetic resin, the coil spring is made of metal. Therefore, when discarded after use, the pump-type dispenser cannot be recycled as a resin product in its current state. Furthermore, in general, in this type of pump-type dispenser, the components are firmly fixed to each other, for example, by fitting, to prevent them from coming apart during normal use. Therefore, it takes time and effort to disassemble the pump-type dispenser and separate the coil spring from the other components.

[0006] The present invention aims to solve these problems and to propose a pump-type dispenser that can dispense the liquid content in the same way as conventional dispensers and that is also highly recyclable.

[0007] The present invention relates to a pump-type dispenser comprising a cap to be attached to the mouth of a container that contains liquid contents, a pump that is held on the mouth by the cap and is driven by the back and forth movement of a stem, and a head that has a discharge port that discharges the liquid contents to the outside and is connected to the stem, and the liquid contents in the container are discharged from the discharge port by moving the head toward the cap, wherein the cap has a peripheral wall that surrounds the mouth, a female screw portion that is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall and that screws into a male screw portion provided on the mouth when the cap is attached to the mouth, and a top wall that extends radially inward from the peripheral wall, one of the head and the top wall has an extension portion that extends toward the other of the head and the top wall, and the other of the head and the top wall has an elastic piece that is deflected by the extension portion when the head is advanced toward the top wall, The top wall is a pump-type discharger that is located radially outward of the extension portion or elastic piece that the top wall has, and has an outer annular wall that protrudes from the surface of the top wall opposite to the side on which the female thread portion is located.

[0008] It is preferable that the top wall has an inner first annular wall that is located radially inward of the extension portion or the elastic piece that the top wall has and protrudes from the surface of the top wall opposite to the side on which the female thread portion is located.

[0009] The top wall is preferably located at the radial position where the first inner annular wall is provided, and has an inner second annular wall protruding from the surface of the top wall on the side where the female thread portion is located.

[0010] The top wall preferably has a connecting rib extending radially inward from the extension or the elastic piece of the top wall and connecting to the first inner annular wall.

[0011] According to the pump-type dispenser of the present invention, when the head is moved toward the cap, the extension bends the elastic piece, allowing the head to return to its initial position when the bent elastic piece returns to its original position. However, when the cap is attached to a container by threading the female thread of the cap onto the male thread of the container's mouth, the level of the top wall of the cap may change depending on how tightly the cap is fastened to the mouth, which may in turn change the inclination of the extension or elastic piece of the top wall. Therefore, if the restoring force from the bent elastic piece is set assuming, for example, that the cap is tightly fastened to the container, there is a concern that a weakly fastened cap may lead to a malfunction, such as the pressed head not returning to its initial position. Meanwhile, the top wall of the pump-type dispenser of the present invention is located radially outward of the extension or elastic piece of the top wall and has an outer annular wall protruding from the surface of the top wall opposite the side where the female thread is located. In other words, the outer annular wall increases the rigidity of the area where the top wall and the peripheral wall are connected, so that even if the tightness of the cap relative to the mouth changes, the impact on the levelness of the top wall is reduced, and problems such as the pressed head not returning to its initial position can be prevented.

[0012] Furthermore, the pump-type dispenser of the present invention uses the above-mentioned elastic piece instead of a metal coil spring, so there is no need to separate the metal parts when disposing of it as in conventional pump-type dispensers, and it can be reused as a resin product, making it highly recyclable.

[0013] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional side view showing a state before an elastic piece in one embodiment of the pump-type dispenser according to the present invention is bent. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cap shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the periphery of the elastic piece shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of the pump-type dispenser shown in Fig. 1 in a state where a head is pressed.

[0014] Hereinafter, a pump-type dispenser 100, one embodiment of a pump-type dispenser according to the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the vertical direction refers to the direction along the illustrated central axis O (the central axis of the stem 7a, described later), with the side where the pipe 4 is located being referred to as "down" and the side where the head 12 is located being referred to as "up." Note that in this specification, the downward movement of the head 12 when pressed is referred to as the head 12 advancing, and the upward return movement of the pressed head 12 is referred to as the head 12 retreating. Therefore, in the following description, the vertical direction may also be referred to as the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the radial direction refers to a direction perpendicular to the central axis O within a plane perpendicular to the central axis O, and the circumferential direction refers to a direction circumferentially around the central axis O within this plane.

[0015] The pump dispenser 100 of this embodiment is used by being attached to, for example, a container 50 shown in Fig. 1. The container 50 is bottle-shaped and has a cylindrical mouth 51 that is open at the top. A male thread 52 is provided on the outer periphery of the mouth 51. The liquid content stored in the container 50 may be, for example, a cosmetic product (such as a lotion or a skin lotion), shampoo, body soap, hand soap, or facial cleanser.

[0016] The pump-type dispenser 100 is composed of a cylinder 1, a valve member 2, a pipe 4, an internal member 5, a piston 6, a tubular member 7, a holder 8, a packing 9, a cap 10, a cover 11, and a head 12. The cylinder 1, the valve member 2, the internal member 5, the piston 6, the tubular member 7, and the holder 8 are components that constitute the "pump" in this specification. Of the above components, the valve member 2, the piston 6, and the packing 9 are made of a soft, elastic synthetic resin (e.g., polyethylene (LDPE), HDPE, foamed PE)), while the other components are made of a hard synthetic resin (e.g., polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyacetal (POM), polyketone (POK) resin, etc.). Each component of the pump-type dispenser 100 is essentially shaped around a central axis O.

[0017] The cylinder 1 includes a disk-shaped bottom wall 1a with an upwardly protruding central portion, a cylindrical tube wall 1b rising from the outer edge of the bottom wall 1a, and a flange wall 1c extending radially outward from the top of the tube wall 1b. A through-hole (suction port 1d) is provided in the protruding central portion of the bottom wall 1a. A cylindrical holding tube 1e is provided on the underside of the bottom wall 1a, surrounding the suction port 1d and extending downward to hold the pipe 4. A through-hole (vent hole 1f) is provided in the tube wall 1b.

[0018] The valve member 2 includes a base 2a, a valve body 2b that covers the suction port 1d inside the base 2a and seats on the upper surface of the bottom wall 1a, and an elastically deformable connecting piece 2c that connects the base 2a and the valve body 2b. The valve member 2 functions as a check valve, and when the pressure inside the cylinder 1 is reduced, the valve body 2b that has been closing the suction port 1d moves away from the bottom wall 1a, opening the suction port 1d.

[0019] In this embodiment, the base 2a is cylindrical with a lid, and the central portion of the top surface protrudes upward, and has an opening (not shown) through which the liquid content passes after passing through the suction port 1d. The base 2a is fitted and held on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 1b, thereby holding the valve member 2 within the cylinder 1.

[0020] The pipe 4 is hollow, and its upper end is inserted into the holding cylinder 1e and is fitted and held therein.

[0021] The internal member 5 is disposed inside the cylinder 1 and moves up and down relative to the cylinder 1. The internal member 5 includes a cylindrical connecting tube 5a and a bottom portion 5b that closes the lower end of the connecting tube 5a and extends radially outward. The connecting tube 5a is provided with a hole (communication port 5c) that passes through it, and the top surface of the bottom portion 5b is provided with an annular portion 5d that is located radially outward of the connecting portion with the connecting tube 5a.

[0022] The piston 6 is inserted into the connecting tube 5a and disposed inside the cylinder 1. The piston 6 in this embodiment has an annular base 6a. An outer sliding piece 6b extending upward and downward from the base 6a is provided on the outer edge of the base 6a. The outer sliding piece 6b slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the inner circumferential surface of the tube wall portion 1b. An inner sliding piece 6c extending upward and downward from the base 6a is provided on the inner edge of the base 6a. A lower portion of the inner sliding piece 6c liquid-tightly contacts the lower portion of the connecting tube 5a that protrudes radially outward, and an upper portion of the inner sliding piece 6c slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the inner circumferential surface of an expanded diameter portion 7b (described later) of the tubular member 7.

[0023] The tubular member 7 is a member having an overall tubular shape. The tubular member 7 includes a cylindrical stem 7a and an expanded diameter portion 7b that is connected to the lower end of the stem 7a and has a larger diameter than the stem 7a. When the connecting tube 5a is inserted into the stem 7a, the two are fitted together, so that the internal member 5 and the tubular member 7 move together relative to the cylinder 1.

[0024] The holder 8 has a portion located radially outward of the stem 7a and a portion located radially outward of the expanded diameter portion 7b, and is equipped with a holder base 8a that is fitted and held on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 1b. A flange 8b extending radially outward is provided at the upper end of the holder base 8a. The holder 8 prevents the internal member 5, piston 6, and cylindrical member 7 from slipping out of the cylinder 1.

[0025] The packing 9 is in the shape of an annular plate, and is inserted into and fitted into the cylindrical wall portion 1b of the cylinder 1. When the pump-type dispenser 100 is attached to the container 50, the packing 9 is sandwiched between the upper end surface of the opening portion 51 and the underside of the flange wall 1c. This prevents problems such as the content liquid overflowing from the opening portion 51 when the container 50 is turned over, for example.

[0026] The cap 10 includes a disk-shaped top wall 10a with a central through-hole. A cylindrical peripheral wall 10b extends downward from the outer edge of the top wall 10a and surrounds the mouth portion 51. The upper portion of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 10b bulges radially inward to fit and hold the flange wall 1c, thereby holding the cylinder 1 in the cap 10. The inner peripheral surface of the cap 10 is provided with a female threaded portion 10c that threadably engages with a male threaded portion 52 provided on the mouth portion 51. The cap 10 can be attached to the container 50 by threading the male threaded portion 52 and the female threaded portion 10c. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 10b is provided with anti-rotation recesses 10d extending vertically, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 1 . Multiple anti-rotation recesses 10d are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0027] The cap 10 also includes an elastic piece 10e extending upward from the upper surface of the top wall 10a and capable of elastically deforming radially inward (see Figures 1 to 3). The elastic piece 10e shown in solid lines in Figure 3 represents the state before the cap 10 and head 12 are assembled (i.e., the elastic piece 10e is not in contact with the extension 12e, described below), while the imaginary lines represent the state after the cap 10 and head 12 are assembled and the elastic piece 10e is in contact with the extension 12e. In this embodiment, a total of six elastic pieces 10e are provided at equal intervals around the circumference. As described below, the elastic piece 10e elastically deforms when the head 12 is pressed to dispense the contents, and when the pressing force on the head 12 is released, the elastic piece 10e returns to its original position by its restoring force. The detailed configuration of the elastic piece 10e in this embodiment will be described later.

[0028] Furthermore, the top wall 10a is provided with an outer annular wall 10f, which is located radially outward of the elastic piece 10e and protrudes upward from the top surface of the top wall 10a. In this embodiment, the outer annular wall 10f is located directly above the outer edge of the flange wall 1c, as shown in Figure 1. The protrusion amount of the outer annular wall 10f (the length from the top surface of the top wall 10a to the upper end surface of the outer annular wall 10f) is approximately the same as the thickness of the top wall 10a at the location where the outer annular wall 10f is located.

[0029] The top wall 10a also includes a circular inner first annular wall 10g located radially inward of the elastic piece 10e and protruding upward from the top surface of the top wall 10a. In this embodiment, the inner first annular wall 10g protrudes upward from the edge of a through hole provided in the center of the top wall 10a. The protrusion amount of the inner first annular wall 10g (the length from the top surface of the top wall 10a to the upper end surface of the inner first annular wall 10g) is approximately the same as the protrusion amount of the outer annular wall 10f. Furthermore, the top wall 10a also includes a circular inner second annular wall 10h located radially at the location of the inner first annular wall 10g (directly below the inner first annular wall 10g) and protruding downward from the bottom surface of the top wall 10a.

[0030] The elastic piece 10e of this embodiment includes a plate-shaped elastic piece main body 10j and a reinforcing rib 10k that is narrower than the elastic piece main body 10j (having a shorter circumferential length than the elastic piece main body 10j). The reinforcing rib 10k is provided at each of the circumferential ends of the elastic piece main body 10j. The elastic piece main body 10j of this embodiment has an arc-shaped outer peripheral portion 10m (with a curvature radius Ra) as shown in FIG.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the reinforcing rib 10k is composed of a rib upper portion 10n, a rib lower portion 10p, and a rib bottom portion 10q. The rib upper portion 10n originates below the tip end of the elastic piece main body 10j and extends downward so as to be approximately parallel to the inner circumferential surface of the elastic piece main body 10j. The rib lower portion 10p extends downward from the rib upper portion 10n at an angle that moves away from the inner circumferential surface of the elastic piece main body 10j. The rib bottom portion 10q extends radially inward from the rib lower portion 10p and connects to the inner circumferential surface of the first inner annular wall 10g. The rib bottom portion 10q corresponds to the "connecting rib" in this specification.

[0032] However, if a flexible elastic piece is constantly bent with a relatively large force, it may become sagged and its recovery performance may decrease. To address this issue, in this embodiment, the base side of the elastic piece 10e is thickened by the rib lower portion 10p and the rib bottom portion 10q, while the tip side is thinner than the base side. Therefore, the tip side of the elastic piece 10e is easily bent and the base side of the elastic piece 10e is less likely to bend, thereby suppressing sagging of the base side of the elastic piece 10e. In this embodiment, the elastic force required to return the head 12 is adjusted to be exerted mainly at the base side of the elastic piece 10e, including the thickness provided by the rib lower portion 10p and the rib bottom portion 10q.

[0033] The cover 11 includes a cylindrical peripheral cover wall 11a. The peripheral cover wall 11a surrounds the peripheral wall 10b and the elastic piece 10e. A retaining projection 11b protruding radially inward is provided at the lower end of the peripheral cover wall 11a and engaging with the lower end of the peripheral wall 10b. A vertically extending rib 11c is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral cover wall 11a. The lower portion of the rib 11c engages with the anti-rotation recess 10d, thereby preventing the cover 11 from rotating and being held in place by the cap 10. The upper portion of the rib 11c protrudes radially inward more than the lower portion. The lower end surface of the upper portion contacts the upper surface of the top wall 10a, and the retaining projection 11b engages with the lower end of the peripheral wall 10b as described above, thereby preventing the cover 11 from slipping out of the cap 10. An inward flange 11d extending radially inward is provided at the upper end of the peripheral cover wall 11a.

[0034] The head 12 is cylindrical and includes a tubular portion 12a into which the stem 7a is inserted and fitted. The upper portion of the tubular portion 12a is provided with a top portion 12b whose upper surface is recessed downward and which has a passageway inside that leads to the tubular portion 12a. The top portion 12b is provided with a cylindrical nozzle 12c that extends radially outward and leads to a passageway inside the top portion 12b. The tip of the nozzle 12c is provided with a discharge port 12d through which the content liquid is discharged by the pump-type dispenser 100.

[0035] The head 12 also includes an extension portion 12e extending downward from the top portion 12b and the nozzle 12c. In this embodiment, the extension portion 12e is cylindrical and centered on the central axis O. As shown in FIG. 1 , the lower portion of the extension portion 12e is inclined so as to widen radially outward as it extends generally downward, and the inner edge of this inclined portion contacts the outer circumferential surface of the elastic piece 10e (elastic piece main body 10j). Here, the portion of the extension portion 12e that contacts the elastic piece 10e is referred to as the contact portion 12f. The inner circumferential surface of the extension portion 12e where the contact portion 12f is provided is referred to as the arc-shaped inner circumferential portion 12g, and the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped inner circumferential portion 12g is referred to as Rb. In this embodiment, the radius of curvature Ra of the arc-shaped outer circumferential portion 10m of the elastic piece 10e is set to be smaller than the radius of curvature Rb of the arc-shaped inner circumferential portion 12g.

[0036] To attach the pump-type dispenser 100 configured as described above to the container 50, the pipe 4 and cylinder 1 are inserted into the opening 51, and the cap 10 is rotated relative to the container 50 to thread the male thread portion 52 and the female thread portion 10c. The cap 10 may be rotated in various ways, such as by a device installed on a filling line that fills the container 50 with the liquid content, or by a user manually after refilling the liquid content. Therefore, the tightness of the cap 10 relative to the opening 51 may vary significantly. When the cap 10 is attached to the opening 51, the peripheral wall 10b of the cap 10 barely moves vertically relative to the opening 51 because the female thread portion 10c is threaded onto the male thread portion 52. However, the top wall 10a receives an upward force from the upper end of the opening 51 via the flange wall 1c and the packing 9. That is, if the magnitude of the force acting on the top wall 10a changes depending on how tightly the cap 10 is fastened to the mouth 51, the degree of inclination of the top wall 10a will change, which may cause the inclination of the elastic piece 10e to deviate from the intended state. For example, when the cap 10 is rotated by a device installed on a filling line, the cap 10 is usually tightly fastened to the mouth 51. If the pressing force of the head 12 is set to a predetermined value assuming this state, when the contents contained in the container 50 are used up and new contents are refilled, the user's force may not be enough to sufficiently tighten the cap 10, in which case the elastic piece 10e will be tilted toward the central axis O. Note that the pressing force when operating the head 12 in the pump-type dispenser 100 of this embodiment and the return force that returns the pressed head 12 to its initial position are exerted by the elastic piece 10e and the extension 12e, as will be described later. In other words, if the elastic piece 10e tilts toward the central axis O, the amount of deflection of the elastic piece 10e decreases, and a sufficient elastic force does not act on the extension portion 12e, which may lead to problems such as the pressed head 12 not returning to its initial position. Here, the top wall 10a of this embodiment is provided with an outer annular wall 10f radially outward of the elastic piece 10e, thereby increasing the rigidity of the portion where the top wall 10a and the peripheral wall 10b are connected.Therefore, whether the cap 10 is tightly or loosely tightened, the horizontality of the top wall 10a does not change significantly, and therefore the inclination of the elastic piece 10e provided on the top wall 10a does not change to an extent that it deviates from a predetermined range depending on the tightness of the cap 10, and therefore the above-mentioned pressing force and return force can be kept within the intended range. In particular, the outer annular wall 10f in this embodiment is located directly above the flange wall 1c, which is subjected to the force from the upper end of the mouth portion 51 (and further, is located directly above the outer edge of the flange wall 1c, which is closest to the part where the top wall 10a and the peripheral wall 10b connect), so the effects of the tightness of the cap 10 can be more reliably suppressed.

[0037] The top wall 10a of this embodiment includes an inner first annular wall 10g radially inward of the elastic piece 10e. That is, the elastic piece 10e is located in a portion of the top wall 10a where the rigidity is increased by the outer annular wall 10f and the inner first annular wall 10g, so tilting of the elastic piece 10e can be more effectively suppressed. Furthermore, the top wall 10a of this embodiment includes an inner second annular wall 10h located in the radial position where the inner first annular wall 10g is provided. The inner first annular wall 10g and the inner second annular wall 10h further increase the rigidity of the radially inner portion of the top wall 10a, so tilting of the elastic piece 10e can be more effectively suppressed.

[0038] The elastic piece 10e also has a rib bottom portion 10q that is connected to the inner circumferential surface of the inner first annular wall 10g. That is, the rib bottom portion 10q increases the rigidity of the base portion of the elastic piece 10e itself, so that tilting of the elastic piece 10e can be more effectively suppressed.

[0039] In the pump-type dispenser 100 attached to the container 50, before the head 12 is pressed, the contact portion 12f of the extension portion 12e contacts the elastic piece 10e, and the head 12 is in the uppermost (retracted) position (as shown in FIG. 1). In the elastic piece 10e of this embodiment, the reinforcing rib 10k (particularly the rib lower portion 10p and the rib bottom portion 10q) increases the thickness of the base side of the elastic piece 10e, while the tip side is thinner than the base side. Therefore, before the head 12 is pressed, the tip side of the elastic piece 10e bends, while the base side of the elastic piece 10e is less likely to bend, as shown in FIG. 1. As described above, in the elastic piece 10e of this embodiment, the elastic force for returning the head 12 is adjusted to be exerted mainly at the base side of the elastic piece 10e, including the thickness of the rib lower portion 10p and the rib bottom portion 10q. This reduces the effects of sagging while maintaining the function of returning the head 12. Furthermore, when the head 12 has moved to the upper limit, the force acting on the tip of the elastic piece 10e is small before the head 12 is pressed, so the effects of settling on the tip of the elastic piece 10e, which remains bent as shown in Figure 1, can be mitigated.

[0040] When the head 12 is pressed from above to lower it (advance the head 12 toward the cap 10), the stem 7a is pressed down along with the head 12 (the stem 7a advances toward the cap 10 along the central axis O). As the stem 7a is pressed down, the bottom 5b also descends via the connecting tube 5a, releasing the liquid-tight contact between the annular portion 5d and the lower portion of the inner sliding piece 6c. Further pressing down the head 12 causes the piston 6 to descend along with the tubular member 7 and internal member 5, pressurizing the interior of the cylinder 1. As a result, the liquid in the cylinder 1 passes through the communication port 5c, passes through the connecting tube 5a, the stem 7a, the tubular portion 12a, the passages provided inside the top portion 12b, and the inside of the nozzle 12c, and is discharged to the outside through the discharge port 12d. When the head 12 is pressed down and the piston 6 descends below the vent port 1f, the container 50 is connected to the outside via the vent port 1f. As a result, even if the liquid contained in the container 50 decreases, the pressure inside the container 50 does not become negative, and the container 50 is prevented from being deformed or crushed.

[0041] Furthermore, when the head 12 is pressed down, the contact portion 12f of the extension portion 12e that contacts the elastic piece 10e applies a pressing force to the elastic piece 10e, causing the elastic piece 10e to bend radially inward as shown in Fig. 4. In this embodiment, the thickness of the elastic piece 10e gradually changes due to the inclined rib lower portion 10p as shown in Fig. 3, so that the resistance force does not change suddenly when a pressing force is applied to the head 12, resulting in excellent operability.

[0042] The radius of curvature Ra (see FIG. 2) of the arc-shaped outer peripheral portion 10m of the elastic piece 10e is set to be smaller than the radius of curvature Rb (see FIG. 1) of the arc-shaped inner peripheral portion 12g. In other words, compared to when the radii of curvature Ra and Rb are equal, the contact area between the contact portion 12f and the elastic piece 10e is reduced, and the sliding resistance when the head 12 is pressed down is reduced, so that excessive force is not required when pressing the head 12.

[0043] Thereafter, when the pressure on head 12 is released, the elastic force of elastic piece 10e, which has been elastically deformed, acts on head 12, causing head 12 to begin to rise. As a result, the radially outwardly protruding lower part of connecting tube 5a and the lower part of inner sliding piece 6c come into liquid-tight contact again, and piston 6 rises together with internal member 5, reducing the pressure inside cylinder 1. As a result, valve body 2b moves away from bottom wall 1a, opening suction port 1d, and allowing the liquid content in container 50 to be sucked into cylinder 1 through pipe 4.

[0044] As described above, the pump-type dispenser 100 of this embodiment can return the head 12 to its original position after discharging the liquid contents without using a metal coil spring, and can be used in the same way as conventional pump-type dispensers.

[0045] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this specific embodiment, and unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description, various modifications and variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the claims. For example, the configurations of the above-described embodiment can be added or deleted as appropriate, and the configurations of one embodiment can be incorporated into other embodiments. Furthermore, the effects of the above-described embodiment are merely examples of the effects resulting from the present invention, and do not mean that the effects of the present invention are limited to the above-described effects.

[0046] For example, the pump described above is merely an example, and other types of pumps are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, the number of elastic pieces 10e and their positions are not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the number of reinforcing ribs 10k and their positions are not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of the elastic piece main body 10j is not limited to an arc-shaped surface in plan view as in this embodiment, but may be linear in plan view, for example. Furthermore, the extension portion 12e is not limited to a cylindrical shape and may be rectangular, for example.

[0047] Furthermore, although the elastic piece 10e in this embodiment bends toward the central axis O, it may also be bendable in a direction away from the central axis O. In this embodiment, the elastic piece 10e is provided on the cap 10 and the extension portion 12e is provided on the head 12, but the extension portion 12e may be provided on the cap 10 and the elastic piece 10e may be provided on the head 12.

[0048] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Cylinder 1a: Bottom wall portion 1b: Cylinder wall portion 1c: Flange wall 1d: Suction port 1e: Retaining cylinder 1f: Vent port 2: Valve member 2a: Base portion 2b: Valve body portion 2c: Connecting piece 4: Pipe 5: Internal member 5a: Connecting cylinder 5b: Bottom portion 5c: Communication port 5d: Annular portion 6: Piston 6a: Base portion 6b: Outer sliding piece 6c: Inner sliding piece 7: Cylindrical member 7a: Stem 7b: Expanded diameter portion 8: Holder 8a: Holder base portion 8b: Flange 9: Gasket 10: Cap 10a: Top wall 10b: Peripheral wall 10c: Female thread portion 10d: Anti-rotation recess 10e: Elastic piece 10f: Outer annular wall 10g: Inner first annular wall 10h: Inner second annular wall 10j: Elastic piece main body 10k: Reinforcing rib 10m: Arc-shaped outer peripheral portion 10n: Upper portion of rib 10p: Lower portion of rib 10q: Bottom portion of rib (connecting rib) 11: Cover 11a: Cover peripheral wall 11b: Anti-slip protrusion 11c: Rib 11d: Inward flange 12: Head 12a: Cylindrical portion 12b: Top portion 12c: Nozzle 12d: Discharge port 12e: Extension portion 12f: Contact portion 12g: Arc-shaped inner peripheral portion 50: Container 51: Mouth portion 52: Male thread portion 100: Pump-type dispenser O: Central axis

Claims

1. A pump-type ejector comprising: a cap attached to the mouth of a container for containing a content liquid; a pump driven by the stem advancing and retracting while being held at the mouth by the cap; and a head having a discharge port for discharging the content liquid to the outside and connected to the stem, wherein the content liquid in the container is discharged from the discharge port by moving the head toward the cap. The cap has a peripheral wall surrounding the mouth, an internal thread portion provided on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall and screwed to an external thread portion provided on the mouth when attached to the mouth, and a top wall extending radially inward from the peripheral wall. Either the head or the top wall has an extension portion extending toward the other of the head and the top wall. The other of the head and the top wall has an elastic piece that is bent by the extension portion when the head is advanced toward the top wall. The top wall has an outer annular wall protruding from a surface on the side opposite to the side where the internal thread portion of the top wall is located and positioned radially outside the extension portion or the elastic piece of the top wall.

2. The pump-type ejector according to claim 1, wherein the top wall has an inner first annular wall protruding from a surface on the side opposite to the side where the internal thread portion of the top wall is located and positioned radially inside the extension portion or the elastic piece of the top wall.

3. The pump-type ejector according to claim 2, wherein the top wall is located at a position where the inner first annular wall is provided in the radial direction and has an inner second annular wall protruding from a surface on the side where the internal thread portion of the top wall is located.

4. The pump-type ejector according to claim 2, wherein the top wall has a connecting rib extending radially inward from the extension portion or the elastic piece of the top wall and connected to the inner first annular wall.

Images