Pump-type discharger

Abstract

A pump-type discharger is proposed that is capable of discharging a liquid contained therein in the same manner as a conventional discharger and also has excellent recyclability.　In a pump-type discharger (100), one of a head and a cap (10) has an extension portion (12f) that extends toward the other of the head and the cap (10). The other of the head and the cap (10) has a base portion and an elastic piece (10e) that has a root portion connected to the base portion and that, when the head is advanced toward the cap (10), deflects in a direction toward a center axis (O) due to the extension portion (12f). An extension-portion distal end portion (12g) extends in a direction approaching the center axis (O) with increasing distance from the other of the head and the cap (10). The elastic piece (10e) has a body portion (10e2) that extends from the root part toward the one of the head and the cap (10), in a direction away from the center axis (O).

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] One of the pump-type dispensers of the present invention comprises a cap attached to the mouth of a container that contains a liquid content, 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 has a discharge port that discharges the liquid content to the outside and is connected to the stem, and in this pump-type dispenser, the liquid content in the container is discharged from the discharge port by moving the head toward the cap, in which either the head or the cap has an extension portion that extends toward the other of the head or the cap, and the head The other of the head and the cap has a base portion and an elastic piece whose root portion is connected to the base portion and which is bent by the extension portion in a direction approaching the central axis of the stem when the head is advanced toward the cap, and the tip portion of the extension portion which is located at the tip side of the extension portion and contacts the elastic piece extends in a direction approaching the central axis as it moves away from the other of the head and the cap, and the elastic piece extends from the root portion toward either the head or the cap in a direction away from the central axis.

[0008] According to one of the pump-type dispensers of the present invention, when the head is advanced toward the cap, the elastic piece is bent by the extension, and when the bent elastic piece returns to its original position, the head can be returned to its initial position. Furthermore, because the above-mentioned elastic piece is used instead of a metal coil spring, there is no need to separate the metal parts after use, as was done with conventional pump-type dispensers, and the dispenser can be reused as a resin product as is, resulting in excellent recyclability.

[0009] The elastic piece extends from the base toward either the head or the cap, away from the central axis of the stem, and is therefore longer than an elastic piece extending straight from the base toward either the head or the cap along the central axis. In other words, the force required to deflect the elastic piece increases at a slower rate than an elastic piece extending straight. Furthermore, the tip of the extension, located at the tip of the extension and in contact with the elastic piece, extends at an angle approaching the central axis as it moves away from either the head or the cap. Therefore, the contact point where the tip of the extension and the elastic piece contact each other moves toward the base of the elastic piece and from the tip to the base of the extension as the head advances. For example, if the point of contact between the extension and the elastic piece is edge-shaped and the contact point on the extension does not change as the head advances, the distance from the base of the elastic piece to the contact point will decrease as the head advances. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the contact point also moves from the tip of the extension portion toward the base when the head is advanced, the decrease in the distance from the base of the elastic piece to the contact point is smaller than when the contact point remains unchanged. In other words, in this respect too, the rate of increase in the force required to deflect the elastic piece can be made gentler.

[0010] Thus, with one of the pump-type dispensers of the present invention, the force required to deflect the elastic piece increases gradually, so that the resistance force that a finger or the like receives from the head when pressing the head increases gradually, making the feeling when pressing the head lighter and improving operability.

[0011] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the head of a first embodiment of a pump-type dispenser according to the present invention is positioned at its uppermost position (retraction limit). FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the elastic piece shown in FIG. 1 in a state before it is deflected. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cap shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of the pump-type dispenser shown in FIG. 1 in a state in which the head is positioned at its lowermost position (advance limit). FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a pump-type dispenser according to the present invention in a state in which the head is positioned at its uppermost position. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the elastic piece shown in FIG. 5 in a state before it is deflected. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a pump-type dispenser according to the present invention in a state in which the head is positioned at its uppermost position (retraction limit). FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the elastic member shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the pump-type dispenser shown in FIG. 7 in a state in which the head is positioned at its lowermost position (advance limit). FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a pump-type dispenser according to the present invention in a state in which the cover is attached and the head is positioned at its uppermost position (retraction limit). FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B shown in FIG. 11. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the pump-type dispenser shown in FIG. 10 with the cover removed and the head positioned at the lower limit (forward limit). FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a pump-type dispenser without a protruding wall.

[0012] An embodiment of a pump-type dispenser according to the present invention will be described below 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 body 12 is located being referred to as "up." In this specification, the downward movement of the head body 12 when pressed is referred to as the head body 12 advancing, and the upward return movement of the pressed head body 12 is referred to as the head body 12 retreating. Therefore, in the following description, the vertical direction may 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.

[0013] First, a pump-type dispenser 100, which is a first embodiment of the pump-type dispenser according to the present invention, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The pump-type dispenser 100 of this embodiment is used by being attached to the mouth of a bottle-shaped container (not shown). The liquid content to be dispensed by the pump-type dispenser 100 may be, for example, a cosmetic product (such as a milky lotion or a lotion), shampoo, body soap, hand soap, or facial cleanser.

[0014] 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 gasket 9, a cap 10, a cover 11, a head body 12, and a lid 13. 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, and the head body 12 and the lid 13 are components that constitute the "head" in this specification. Of the above components, the valve member 2, the piston 6, and the gasket 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 that constitutes the pump-type dispenser 100 is essentially shaped around a central axis O.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] In this embodiment, the base 2 a has a lidded cylindrical shape and is provided with an opening (not shown) through which the liquid passes after passing through the suction port 1 d. The base 2 a is fitted and held on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 1 b, thereby holding the valve member 2 within the cylinder 1.

[0018] The pipe 4 is hollow, and its upper end is inserted into the holding cylinder 1e and is fitted and held therein.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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 annular portion 5d, 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] The packing 9 is in the shape of an annular plate, and is inserted into and fitted into the cylindrical wall 1b of the cylinder 1. When the pump-type dispenser 100 is attached to a container (not shown), the packing 9 is sandwiched between the opening of the container and the flange wall 1c. This prevents problems such as the content liquid spilling out of the opening when the container is turned over, for example.

[0024] The cap 10 has a disk-shaped top wall 10a with a central through-hole. The top wall 10a corresponds to the "base portion" in this specification. A cylindrical peripheral wall 10b extending downward is provided at the outer edge of the top wall 10a. 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 screws into a male threaded portion provided on the mouth of a container. The cap 10 can be attached to a container by threading the male threaded portion 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 circumferentially.

[0025] The cap 10 also includes an elastic piece 10e that is generally plate-shaped as shown in the drawings (see FIGS. 1, 2, and 3). The base of the elastic piece 10e (hereinafter referred to as the elastic piece base 10e1) is connected to the top wall 10a, and the elastic piece 10e is elastically deformable radially inward. The elastic piece 10e shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1 and the elastic piece 10e shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate the elastic piece 10e in its pre-deflection state (i.e., the elastic piece 10e is not in contact with the extension 12f, described below, before the cap 10 and the head body 12 are assembled). In this embodiment, a total of six elastic pieces 10e are provided at equal intervals around the circumferential direction of the top wall 10a. As described below, the elastic piece 10e elastically deforms toward the central axis O when the head body 12 is pressed during dispensing of the contents, and when the pressing force on the head body 12 is released, the elastic piece 10e returns to its original position by its restoring force.

[0026] The elastic piece 10e has a main body portion (hereinafter referred to as the elastic piece main body portion 10e2) extending upward from the elastic piece root portion 10e1 in a direction away from the central axis O. Furthermore, the tip portion of the elastic piece 10e provided on the tip side of the elastic piece main body portion 10e2 (hereinafter referred to as the elastic piece tip portion 10e3) extends in a direction approaching the central axis O as it extends upward. The elastic piece 10e of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 . The elastic piece root portion 10e1 extends upward from the top wall 10a along the central axis O and is connected to the elastic piece main body portion 10e2. The elastic piece main body portion 10e2 is shaped to include a first curved portion 10h that extends in an arc-like curve in a direction convex with respect to the central axis O, and a second curved portion 10j that extends in an arc-like curve in a direction concave with respect to the central axis O with a radius larger than that of the first curved portion 10h. The elastic piece tip portion 10e3 extends linearly in a direction such that the outer circumferential surface approaches the central axis O as it extends upward. The elastic piece 10e extends with approximately the same thickness at the elastic piece root portion 10e1 and the elastic piece main body portion 10e2, while the thickness of the elastic piece tip portion 10e3 extends so that it becomes thinner toward the tip.

[0027] The elastic piece 10e has a reinforcing rib 10k on its inner circumferential surface, which is narrower (has a shorter circumferential length) than the elastic piece 10e. In this embodiment, a pair of reinforcing ribs 10k are provided on the elastic piece 10e at a circumferentially spaced interval, as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the reinforcing rib 10k extends from the elastic piece base portion 10e1 to the lower portion of the elastic piece main body portion 10e2, having a thickness slightly smaller than that of the elastic piece main body portion 10e2 and curving in an arc in a direction convex with respect to the central axis O. Thereafter, the reinforcing rib 10k extends to a thickness slightly smaller than that of the elastic piece main body portion 10e2 and curving in an arc in a direction concave with respect to the central axis O. The elastic force exerted by the elastic piece 10e can be adjusted by varying the thickness of the reinforcing rib 10k and its position.

[0028] The top wall 10a also includes an inner annular wall 10m located radially inward of the elastic piece 10e, as shown in FIG. 1 . In this embodiment, the inner annular wall 10m protrudes upward and downward from the edge of a through-hole provided in the center of the top wall 10a. The inner annular wall 10m primarily functions to prevent the inclination of the elastic piece 10e from changing when the pump-type dispenser 100 is attached to a container (not shown). That is, when the female thread portion 10c is tightly fastened to the male thread portion of the container, a strong force is applied to the top wall 10a from the upper end surface of the container's mouth via the packing 9 and flange wall 1c. When the fastening is weak, the force applied to the top wall 10a is weak. Therefore, the force applied to the top wall 10a varies depending on the degree to which the female thread portion 10c is fastened to the male thread portion, which changes the inclination of the elastic piece 10e. On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the inner annular wall 10m is provided, the top wall 10a is less likely to deform, and fluctuations in the inclination of the elastic piece 10e can be suppressed.

[0029] 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 from the lower end of the peripheral cover wall 11a engages 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 (see the enlarged partial view in FIG. 1 ), thereby preventing the cover 11 from rotating and being held by the cap 10. An intermediate portion of the peripheral cover wall 11a protrudes radially inward, and the lower end surface of this intermediate portion contacts the upper surface of the top wall 10a. As the retaining projection 11b engages with the lower end of the peripheral wall 10b as described above, the cover 11 is held by the cap 10.

[0030] The head body 12 is cylindrical and includes a tubular portion 12a into which the stem 7a is inserted and fitted. A top portion 12b having a passageway therein that leads to the tubular portion 12a is provided at the top of the tubular portion 12a. The top portion 12b is provided with a nozzle 12c that is cylindrical and extends radially outward, leading to a passageway provided inside the top portion 12b. A discharge port 12d through which the content liquid is discharged by the pump-type dispenser 100 is provided at the tip of the nozzle 12c. A cylindrical outer peripheral wall 12e that has a smaller diameter than the cover peripheral wall 11a and extends downward is provided at the outer edge of the head body 12.

[0031] The head main body 12 also has an extension 12f that extends downward from the apex 12b and the nozzle 12c radially inside the outer peripheral wall 12e and connects to the outer peripheral wall 12e. The root portion of the extension 12f, which is located at the upper part and connects to the apex 12b and the nozzle 12c, extends along the central axis O, while the tip portion located at the lower part (hereinafter referred to as the extension tip 12g) in this embodiment extends in an arc shape in a direction approaching the central axis O as it goes from bottom to top. Note that the extension tip 12g may also extend linearly in a direction approaching the central axis O as it goes from bottom to top.

[0032] The lid body 13 is attached from above to the head body 12. The head body 12 has a recess that opens upward between the outer peripheral wall 12e and the extension 12f, and when the lid body 13 is attached to the head body 12, the lid body 13 can cover and hide this recess.

[0033] In the pump-type dispenser 100 configured with such components, when the tubular portion 12a of the head body 12 is attached to the stem 7a, the elastic piece main body portion 10e2 of the elastic piece 10e extends upward from the elastic piece base portion 10e1 in a direction away from the central axis O, which may result in a problem in which the extension portion 12f bends the elastic piece 10e in an incorrect direction (away from the central axis O). Here, the elastic piece 10e of this embodiment has an elastic piece tip portion 10e3 that extends in a direction approaching the central axis O as the outer circumferential surface extends upward, and when the head body 12 is attached to the stem 7a, the extension portion 12f comes into contact with the elastic piece tip portion 10e3, causing the elastic piece 10e to naturally displace to the state shown in FIG. 1 , thereby preventing the above-mentioned problem.

[0034] In the pump-type dispenser 100, before the head body 12 is pressed, as shown in FIG. 1, the extension tip 12g contacts the elastic piece tip 10e3 of the elastic piece 10e, causing the elastic piece 10e to bend slightly radially inward, and the head body 12 is in an uppermost (rearmost) position. The symbol P in FIG. 1 indicates the position where the extension tip 12g contacts the elastic piece 10e (hereinafter referred to as the contact point P). When the head body 12 is pressed from above to lower it (advance it toward the cap 10), the stem 7a is pushed down along with the head body 12 (the stem 7a advances toward the cap 10 along the central axis O). As the stem 7a is pushed down, the bottom 5b also descends via the connecting tube 5a, releasing the fluid-tight contact between the annular portion 5d and the lower part of the inner sliding piece 6c. When the head body 12 is further pressed down, the piston 6 descends along with the tubular member 7 and internal member 5, pressurizing the interior of the cylinder 1. As a result, the liquid content 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 then discharged from the discharge port 12d to the outside. Note that when the head body 12 is pressed down and the piston 6 descends below the vent port 1f, a container (not shown) communicates with the outside via the vent port 1f. This prevents the pressure inside the container from becoming negative even if the liquid content in the container decreases, preventing the container from being deformed or crushed.

[0035] Furthermore, when the head main body 12 is pressed down, the extension tip 12g of the extension 12f 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. Here, because the elastic piece main body 10e2 extends upward from the elastic piece base 10e1 in a direction away from the central axis O, as described above, the length of the elastic piece 10e can be made longer than if it extended straight along the central axis O. Furthermore, because the extension tip 12g extends in a direction approaching the central axis O as it moves from below to above, the contact point P at which the extension tip 12g contacts the elastic piece 10e moves downward as the head main body 12 is advanced, and moves from near the tip of the extension 12f as shown in Fig. 1 to near the base of the extension 12f as shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, although moving the head body 12 forward brings the contact point P closer to the elastic piece base portion 10e1, the decrease in the distance from the elastic piece base portion 10e1 to the contact point P is smaller than when the contact point P remains unchanged. In other words, due to these effects, the rate of increase in the force required to deflect the elastic piece 10e becomes gentler, so that when pressing the head body 12, the resistance force that a finger or the like receives from the head body 12 increases gradually, making it easier to press the head body 12 and improving operability.

[0036] In this embodiment, even when the head body 12 moves from the upper limit (rear limit) position shown in Fig. 1 to the lower limit (advance limit) position shown in Fig. 4, the outer peripheral surface of the elastic piece main body portion 10e2 is located radially outward of the outer peripheral surface of the elastic piece root portion 10e1. In other words, if the elastic piece 10e is configured to bend until the outer peripheral surface of the elastic piece main body portion 10e2 is located radially inward of the outer peripheral surface of the elastic piece root portion 10e1, the load applied to the elastic piece root portion 10e1 increases, making it more likely that the elastic piece 10e will sag when repeatedly flexed. However, by configuring it as described above, the load applied to the elastic piece root portion 10e1 can be reduced, thereby preventing sag.

[0037] Thereafter, when the pressure on the head body 12 is released, the elastic force of the elastically deformed elastic piece 10e acts on the head body 12, causing the head body 12 to begin to rise. As a result, the annular portion 5d and the lower portion of the inner sliding piece 6c once again come into liquid-tight contact, and the piston 6 rises together with the internal member 5, reducing the pressure inside the cylinder 1. As a result, the valve body 2b moves away from the bottom wall portion 1a, opening the suction port 1d and allowing the liquid content in the container to be sucked into the cylinder 1 through the pipe 4. If the head body 12 is then pressed, the liquid content will again be discharged from the discharge port 12d.

[0038] Next, a pump-type dispenser 100A, which is a second embodiment of the pump-type dispenser according to the present invention, will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The pump-type dispenser 100A includes a cap 10A, a head body 14, and a head inner member 15, instead of the cap 10, head body 12, and lid body 13 of the pump-type dispenser 100 shown in Figure 1. The head body 14 and head inner member 15 of this embodiment are members that constitute the "head" in this specification. The head body 14 and head inner member 15 are made of the hard synthetic resin described above.

[0039] The cap 10A includes elastic pieces 10p instead of the elastic pieces 10e described above. As shown in the figure, the elastic pieces 10p are generally plate-shaped. The base portion of the elastic piece 10p (hereinafter referred to as the elastic piece base portion 10p1) is connected to the top wall 10a, and the elastic piece 10p is elastically deformable radially outward. The elastic piece 10p shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 5 and the elastic piece 10p shown in FIG. 6 are in a state before deflection (a state in which the elastic piece 10p is not in contact with the extension portion 15a, described later). Although not shown, a total of six elastic pieces 10p in this embodiment are provided on the top wall 10a at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, similar to the elastic pieces 10e.

[0040] The elastic piece 10p has a main body portion (hereinafter referred to as the elastic piece main body portion 10p2) extending upward from the elastic piece root portion 10p1 in a direction approaching the central axis O. Furthermore, the tip portion of the elastic piece 10p provided on the tip side of the elastic piece main body portion 10p2 (hereinafter referred to as the elastic piece tip portion 10p3) extends in a direction away from the central axis O as it extends upward. The elastic piece 10p of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6 . The elastic piece root portion 10p1 extends upward from the top wall 10a along the central axis O and is connected to the elastic piece main body portion 10p2. The elastic piece main body portion 10p2 is shaped to include a first curved portion 10s extending in an arc-like curve in a direction concave with respect to the central axis O, and a second curved portion 10t extending in an arc-like curve in a direction convex with respect to the central axis O with a larger radius than the first curved portion 10s. The elastic piece tip portion 10p3 extends linearly in a direction away from the central axis O as the inner circumferential surface moves upward. The elastic piece 10p extends with approximately the same thickness at the elastic piece base portion 10p1 and the elastic piece main body portion 10p2, while the thickness of the elastic piece tip portion 10p3 extends so as to become thinner toward the tip.

[0041] The elastic piece 10p has a reinforcing rib 10u on its inner circumferential surface, which is narrower (has a shorter circumferential length) than the elastic piece 10p. Although not shown, the reinforcing ribs 10u of this embodiment are provided in pairs spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the elastic piece 10p, similar to the reinforcing rib 10k shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 6, the reinforcing rib 10u extends from the elastic piece base portion 10p1 to the lower portion of the elastic piece main body portion 10p2, curving in an arc in a direction concave with respect to the central axis O with a thickness slightly smaller than that of the elastic piece main body portion 10p2. Thereafter, the reinforcing rib 10u extends in an arc in a direction convex with respect to the central axis O with a thickness slightly larger than that of the elastic piece main body portion 10p2.

[0042] The head body 14 has a cylindrical shape and includes a tubular portion 14a into which the stem 7a is inserted and fitted. The upper portion of the tubular portion 14a is provided with a top portion 14b having an internal passageway leading to the tubular portion 14a. The top portion 14b is provided with a cylindrical nozzle 14c extending radially outward and leading to a passageway provided inside the top portion 14b. The tip of the nozzle 14c is provided with a discharge port 14d through which the content liquid is discharged by the pump-type dispenser 100A. The outer edge of the head body 14 is provided with a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 14e that is smaller in diameter than the cover peripheral wall 11a and extends downward. An annular outer fitting wall 14f and an inner fitting wall 14g are provided radially inward of the outer peripheral wall 14e and extend downward. The inner peripheral surface of the outer fitting wall 14f is provided with a claw-shaped engagement portion.

[0043] The head inner member 15 has an extension 15a that is cylindrical overall. A claw-shaped engagement portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the upper portion of the extension 15a. The upper portion of the extension 15a is inserted between the outer fitting wall 14f and the inner fitting wall 14g, and the engagement portion of the head main body 14 is engaged with the engagement portion of the head inner member 15, thereby holding the head inner member 15 to the head main body 14. When the head inner member 15 is held to the head main body 14, the extension 15a extends downward, and the lower tip of the extension 15a (hereinafter referred to as the extension tip 15b) extends in an arc shape that moves away from the central axis O as it moves from bottom to top in this embodiment. Note that the extension tip 15b may also extend linearly in a direction that moves away from the central axis O as it moves from bottom to top.

[0044] In the pump-type dispenser 100A constructed with such components, when the head main body 14, to which the head inner member 15 is attached, is attached to the stem 7a, the elastic piece 10p has an elastic piece main body portion 10p2 that extends upward from the elastic piece base portion 10p1 in a direction approaching the central axis O, and therefore there is a risk that the extension portion 15a will bend the elastic piece 10p in an abnormal direction (a direction approaching the central axis O). However, the elastic piece 10p has an elastic piece tip portion 10p3 that extends in a direction away from the central axis O as it extends upward, and when the head main body 14 is attached to the stem 7a, the extension portion 15a comes into contact with the elastic piece tip portion 10p3 and the elastic piece 10p is naturally displaced to the state shown in Figure 5, thereby preventing the above-mentioned problem.

[0045] When the head body 14 is pressed down, the liquid content can be discharged from the discharge port 14d, similar to the pump-type dispenser 100 described above. Furthermore, by pressing down the head body 14, the extension tip 15b of the extension 15a, which contacts the elastic piece 10p, applies a pressing force to the elastic piece 10p, bending the elastic piece 10p radially outward. Because the elastic piece 10p extends upward from the elastic piece base 10p1 in a direction approaching the central axis O, as described above, the length of the elastic piece 10p can be increased compared to a piece extending straight along the central axis O. Furthermore, because the extension tip 15b extends in a direction away from the central axis O as it moves from below to above, the contact point P at which the extension tip 15b contacts the elastic piece 10p shown in FIG. 5 moves downward as the head body 12 is advanced, moving from a position close to the tip of the extension 15a to a position close to the base of the extension 15a. Therefore, although moving the head body 14 forward brings the contact point P closer to the elastic piece base portion 10p1, the decrease in the distance from the elastic piece base portion 10p1 to the contact point P is smaller than when the contact point P remains unchanged. In other words, due to these effects, the rate of increase in the force required to deflect the elastic piece 10p becomes gentler, so the resistance force that a finger or the like receives from the head body 14 when pressing the head body 14 increases gradually, making it feel lighter when pressing the head body 14 and improving operability.

[0046] In this embodiment, the elastic piece 10p is configured so that, while the head body 14 moves from the upper limit (rear limit) shown in Figure 5 to the lower limit (forward limit) not shown, the outer surface of the elastic piece main body portion 10p2 is located radially inward of the outer surface of the elastic piece root portion 10p1.This reduces the load applied to the elastic piece root portion 10p1, and therefore prevents the elastic piece 10p from becoming worn even when it is repeatedly flexed.

[0047] Thereafter, when the pressure on the head body 14 is released, the elastic force of the elastically deformed elastic piece 10p acts on the head body 14, causing the head body 14 to rise, so that the liquid content in the container can be sucked into the cylinder 1 through the pipe 4. Therefore, by pressing the head body 14, the liquid content can be discharged again from the discharge port 14d.

[0048] Next, a pump-type dispenser 200 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0049] 7 and 9, the pump-type dispenser 200 is composed of a cylinder 201, a valve member 202, a pipe 204, an internal member 205, a piston 206, a cylindrical member 207, a holder 208, a packing 209, a cap 210, a head body 212, an elastic member 213, and a nozzle cover 214. Here, the cylinder 201, the valve member 202, the internal member 205, the piston 206, the cylindrical member 207, and the holder 208 are members that make up the "pump" in this specification, etc., and the head body 212 and the elastic member 213 are members that make up the "head" in this specification, etc. Of the above components, the valve member 202, piston 206, and packing 209 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 constituting the pump-type dispenser 200 is basically formed into a shape centered on the central axis O. Note that FIG. 7 shows a state in which the head main body 212 is positioned at the upper limit (rearward limit), and FIG. 9 shows a state in which the head main body 212 is positioned at the lower limit (forward limit).

[0050] The cylinder 201 includes a disk-shaped bottom wall 201a with an upwardly protruding central portion, a cylindrical tube wall 201b rising from the outer edge of the bottom wall 201a, and a flange wall 201c extending radially outward from the upper portion of the tube wall 201b. A through-hole (suction port 201d) is provided in the protruding central portion of the bottom wall 201a. A cylindrical holding tube 201e is provided on the underside of the bottom wall 201a, surrounding the suction port 201d and extending downward to hold the pipe 204. A through-hole (vent 201f) is provided in the tube wall 201b.

[0051] The valve member 202 includes a base 202a, a valve body 202b that covers the suction port 201d inside the base 202a and seats on the upper surface of the bottom wall 201a, and an elastically deformable connecting piece 202c that connects the base 202a and the valve body 202b. The valve member 202 functions as a check valve, and when the pressure inside the cylinder 201 is reduced, the valve body 202b that has been closing the suction port 201d moves away from the bottom wall 201a, thereby opening the suction port 201d.

[0052] In this embodiment, the base 202a is cylindrical with a lid and has an opening (not shown) through which the liquid passes after passing through the suction port 201d. The base 202a is fitted and held on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall 201b, thereby holding the valve member 202 within the cylinder 201.

[0053] The pipe 204 is hollow, and its upper end is inserted into the holding cylinder 201e and is fitted and held therein.

[0054] The internal member 205 is disposed inside the cylinder 201 and moves up and down relative to the cylinder 201. The internal member 205 includes a cylindrical connecting tube 205a and a bottom portion 205b that closes the lower end of the connecting tube 205a and extends radially outward. The connecting tube 205a is provided with a hole (communication port 205c) that passes through it, and the top surface of the bottom portion 205b is provided with an annular portion 205d that is located radially outward of the connecting portion with the connecting tube 205a.

[0055] The piston 206 is inserted into the connecting tube 205a and disposed inside the cylinder 201. The piston 206 in this embodiment includes an annular base 206a. An outer sliding piece 206b extending upward and downward from the base 206a is provided on the outer edge of the base 206a. The outer sliding piece 206b slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the inner circumferential surface of the tube wall portion 201b. An inner sliding piece 206c extending upward and downward from the base 206a is provided on the inner edge of the base 206a. A lower portion of the inner sliding piece 206c liquid-tightly contacts the annular portion 205d, and an upper portion of the inner sliding piece 206c slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the inner circumferential surface of an expanded diameter portion 207b (described later) of the tubular member 207.

[0056] The tubular member 207 is a member having an overall tubular shape. The tubular member 207 includes a cylindrical stem 207a and an expanded diameter portion 207b that is connected to the lower end of the stem 207a and has a larger diameter than the stem 207a. When the connecting tube 205a is inserted into the stem 207a, the two are fitted together, and the internal member 205 and the tubular member 207 move integrally relative to the cylinder 201.

[0057] The holder 208 has a portion located radially outward of the stem 207a and a portion located radially outward of the expanded diameter portion 207b, and is equipped with a holder base 208a that is fitted and held on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 201b. A flange 208b extending radially outward is provided at the upper end of the holder base 208a. The holder 208 prevents the internal member 205, piston 206, and cylindrical member 207 from slipping out of the cylinder 201.

[0058] The packing 209 is in the shape of an annular plate, and is inserted into and fitted into the cylindrical wall portion 201b of the cylinder 201. When the pump-type dispenser 200 is attached to a container (not shown), the packing 209 is sandwiched between the opening of the container and the flange wall 201c. This prevents problems such as the content liquid overflowing from the opening when the container is turned over, for example.

[0059] The cap 210 has a disk-shaped top wall 210a with a through-hole in the center. A cylindrical lower peripheral wall 210b extending downward is provided at the outer edge of the top wall 210a. An upper portion of the inner peripheral surface of the lower peripheral wall 210b bulges radially inward to fit and hold the flange wall 201c, thereby holding the cylinder 201 in the cap 210. The inner peripheral surface of the cap 210 is also provided with a female threaded portion 210c that screws into a male threaded portion provided at the mouth of the container. The cap 210 can be attached to the container by screwing the male threaded portion and the female threaded portion 210c together.

[0060] The cap 210 also has a pressing wall 210d on the upper surface of the top wall 210a. The pressing wall 210d protrudes upward from the upper surface of the top wall 210a and has a dome shape centered on the central axis O. A through-hole through which the stem 207a passes is provided in the center of the pressing wall 210d.

[0061] On the inner side of the pressing wall 210d, back-side ribs 210e extending along the central axis O are provided. In this embodiment, a total of seven back-side ribs 210e are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. That is, in this embodiment, the angle between adjacent back-side ribs 210e with respect to the central axis O (the angle between the thicknesswise central portions of the back-side ribs 210e) is 51.4°. By providing the back-side ribs 210e, the rigidity of the pressing wall 210d can be increased, thereby suppressing downward and radially inward deflection of the pressing wall 210d. Note that the effect of the back-side ribs 210e in suppressing deflection of the pressing wall 210d will be described in detail later.

[0062] The cap 210 also has a cylindrical upper peripheral wall 210f that extends upward from the outer edge of the top wall 210a.

[0063] The head body 212 is cylindrical and includes a tubular portion 212a into which the stem 207a is inserted and fitted. A top portion 212b having a passage therein leading to the tubular portion 212a is provided at the top of the tubular portion 212a. The top portion 212b is provided with a cylindrical nozzle 212c that extends radially outward and leads to a passage provided inside the top portion 212b. A discharge port 212d through which the content liquid is discharged by the pump-type dispenser 200 is provided at the tip of the nozzle 212c. Furthermore, the head body 212 includes a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 212e that extends downward and has a smaller diameter than the upper peripheral wall 210f. 7, when the head body 212 is at its uppermost position, the lower end (tip) of the outer peripheral wall 212e is located lower than the upper end (tip) of the upper peripheral wall 210f, and the upper peripheral wall 210f and the outer peripheral wall 212e can cover and conceal the periphery of the pressing wall 210d. An engagement portion 212f that protrudes radially inward is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the lower end (root portion) of the outer peripheral wall 212e.

[0064] The elastic member 213 includes a plate-shaped head base portion 213a as shown in Fig. 8. The center of the head base portion 213a is provided with a circular through-hole (mounting hole 213a1) and a cylindrical wall 213b that is cylindrical and extends downward, surrounding the mounting hole 213a1. When the cylindrical portion 212a of the elastic member 213 is inserted into the mounting hole 213a1 and the cylindrical wall 213b, and the head base portion 213a is inserted into the outer peripheral wall 212e as shown in Fig. 7, the outer edge of the head base portion 213a engages with an engaging portion 212f provided at the base of the outer peripheral wall 212e, thereby preventing it from coming off the head main body 212. The elastic member 213 of this embodiment does not have a circumferential positioning mechanism relative to the head main body 212 (for example, a protrusion extending in the vertical direction provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 212a and a groove portion that engages with this protrusion portion provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 213b), so there is no need to worry about the circumferential orientation when attaching it to the head main body 212, and it can be easily attached.

[0065] The elastic member 213 also includes elastic pieces 213c. As shown in the figure, the elastic pieces 213c are generally plate-shaped. The root portions of the elastic pieces 213c (hereinafter referred to as elastic piece root portions 213c1) are connected to the head base portion 213a. The elastic pieces 213c are elastically deformable radially outward as shown in FIG. 9. In this embodiment, a total of six elastic pieces 213c are provided at equal intervals around the circumferential direction of the head base portion 213a.

[0066] The elastic piece 213c has a main body portion (hereinafter referred to as an elastic piece main body portion 213c2) that extends downward from the elastic piece root portion 213c1 in a direction approaching the central axis O. In addition, a tip portion of the elastic piece 213c provided on the tip side of the elastic piece main body portion 213c2 (hereinafter referred to as an elastic piece tip portion 213c3) extends downward in a direction away from the central axis O.

[0067] As shown in Fig. 8, the elastic piece 213c has a reinforcing rib 213d on its outer circumferential surface, which is narrower (has a shorter circumferential length) than the elastic piece 213c. In this embodiment, a pair of reinforcing ribs 213d are provided circumferentially spaced apart from each other around the elastic piece 213c. In the region from the elastic piece root portion 213c1 to the vertical center of the elastic piece main body portion 213c2, the reinforcing rib 213d extends with a thickness substantially the same as that of the elastic piece main body portion 213c2, but below that, the reinforcing rib 213d extends with a thickness slightly smaller than that of the elastic piece main body portion 213c2.

[0068] The nozzle cover 214 includes a cylindrical, capped tip cover portion 214a that covers the tip of the nozzle 212c. The underside of the tip cover portion 214a includes a stopper portion 214b that is C-shaped in plan view and detachably fits onto the outer peripheral wall 212e, and a triangular cover rib 214c that connects the tip cover portion 214a and the stopper portion 214b in side view as shown in FIG. 7 and reinforces the nozzle cover 214. The nozzle cover 214 is held on the head main body 212 by fitting the stopper portion 214b into the outer peripheral wall 212e. Attaching the nozzle cover 214 to the head main body 212 prevents dust and other particles from adhering to the tip of the nozzle 212c. When the nozzle cover 214 is attached to the head main body 212, the lower end of the stopper portion 214b contacts the upper end of the upper peripheral wall 210f, as shown in FIG. 7. That is, the nozzle cover 214 can prevent the head body 212 from being inadvertently pressed down.

[0069] In the pump-type dispenser 200 configured with such members, when the head body 212 to which the elastic member 213 is attached is attached to the stem 207a, the elastic piece body portion 213c2 of the elastic piece 213c extends downward from the elastic piece base portion 213c1 in a direction approaching the central axis O, which may result in a problem in which the pressing wall 210d bends the elastic piece 213c in an incorrect direction (a direction approaching the central axis O). Here, the elastic piece 213c of this embodiment has an elastic piece tip portion 213c3 that extends in a direction away from the central axis O as the inner circumferential surface extends downward, and when the head body 212 is attached to the stem 207a, the pressing wall 210d comes into contact with the elastic piece tip portion 213c3, and the elastic piece 213c is naturally displaced to the state shown in FIG. 7 , thereby preventing the above-mentioned problem.

[0070] 7, in the pump-type dispenser 200, before the head body 212 is pressed, the tip of the pressing wall 210d contacts the elastic piece tip 213c3 of the elastic piece 213c, causing the elastic piece 213c to bend slightly radially inward, and the head body 212 is moved to its upper limit (retraction limit). The symbol P in FIG. 7 indicates the position where the pressing wall 210d contacts the elastic piece 213c (hereinafter referred to as the contact point P). When the head body 212 is pressed from above to lower the head body 212 (moving the head body 212 forward toward the cap 210), the stem 207a is pressed down together with the head body 212 (moving the stem 207a forward toward the cap 210 along the central axis O). As the stem 207a is pushed down, the bottom 205b also descends via the connecting tube 205a, releasing the liquid-tight contact between the annular portion 205d and the lower portion of the inner sliding piece 206c. Further downward pressure on the head body 212 also causes the piston 206 to descend along with the tubular member 207 and internal member 205, pressurizing the interior of the cylinder 201. As a result, the liquid in the cylinder 201 passes through the communication port 205c, passes through the connecting tube 205a, the stem 207a, the tubular portion 212a, the passages provided inside the top portion 212b, and the inside of the nozzle 212c, and is discharged from the discharge port 212d to the outside. When the head body 212 is pressed down and the piston 206 descends below the vent port 201f, a container (not shown) is connected to the outside via the vent port 201f. This prevents the pressure inside the container from becoming negative even if the liquid contained in the container decreases, preventing the container from being deformed or crushed.

[0071] Furthermore, when the head body 212 is pressed down, the pressing wall 210d in contact with the elastic piece 213c applies a pressing force to the elastic piece 213c, causing the elastic piece 213c to bend radially outward, as shown in FIG. 9 . Here, as described above, the elastic piece main body portion 213c2 extends downward from the elastic piece root portion 213c1 in a direction approaching the central axis O, so the length of the elastic piece 213c can be made longer than if it extended straight along the central axis O. Furthermore, the pressing wall 210d protrudes upward and has a dome shape centered on the central axis O, and extends at an angle away from the central axis O as it moves away from the head body 212. Therefore, as the head body 212 advances, the contact point P at which the pressing wall 210d contacts the elastic piece 213c moves from near the tip side of the pressing wall 210d to near the base side of the pressing wall 210d. That is, by advancing the head main body 212, the elastic piece 213c approaches the pressing wall 210d, but because the contact point P moves from the tip side toward the base side of the pressing wall 210d, the distance from the elastic piece base portion 213c1 to the contact point P becomes longer compared to when the contact point P remains constant. That is, due to these effects, the rate of increase in the force required to deflect the elastic piece 213c is gentler, so the resistance force that a finger or the like receives from the head main body 212 when pressing the head main body 212 increases gently, making the feel when pressing the head main body 212 lighter and improving operability. Furthermore, because the rate of increase in the force required to deflect the elastic piece 213c is gentler, the load applied to the elastic piece 213c can be reduced, and settling of the elastic piece 213c can be suppressed.

[0072] Thereafter, when the pressure on head body 212 is released, the elastic force of elastic piece 213c, which has been elastically deformed, acts on head body 212, causing head body 212 to begin to rise. Accordingly, annular portion 205d and the lower portion of inner sliding piece 206c once again come into liquid-tight contact with each other, and piston 206 rises together with internal member 205, reducing the pressure inside cylinder 201. This causes valve body 202b to move away from bottom wall 201a, opening suction port 201d and allowing the liquid content within the container to be sucked into cylinder 201 through pipe 204. If head body 212 is then pressed, the liquid content will again be discharged from discharge port 212d.

[0073] Here, the effect of the back-side rib 210e provided on the pressing wall 210d will be described in detail. As described above, when the head body 212 is pressed down, the pressing wall 210d can deflect the elastic piece 213c radially outward. However, if the rigidity of the pressing wall 210d is low, the pressing wall 210d will deflect inward, resulting in insufficient radial outward deflection of the elastic piece 213c, which may prevent the head body 212 from returning to its upper limit. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the pressing wall 210d is provided with the back-side rib 210e, which increases the rigidity of the pressing wall 210d. This prevents insufficient deflection of the elastic piece 213c, allowing the head body 212 to more reliably return to its upper limit.

[0074] Incidentally, when multiple back-side ribs 210e are provided on the pressing wall 210d, it is expected that the rigidity of the pressing wall 210d will be insufficient if the angle between adjacent back-side ribs 210e with respect to the central axis O is large. As a result of confirming this point, the inventors of the present application have found that the lack of rigidity of the pressing wall 210d can be resolved if the angle between adjacent back-side ribs 210e with respect to the central axis O (the angle between the central portions of the back-side ribs 210e in the thickness direction) is within 75°. Therefore, when the back-side ribs 210e are provided on the pressing wall 210d, it is preferable that the angle between adjacent back-side ribs 210e with respect to the central axis O be within 75°, even at the largest point. Taking this condition into consideration, when the back-side ribs 210e are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, it is preferable to provide five or more back-side ribs 210e on the pressing wall 210d (i.e., the angle between adjacent back-side ribs 210e relative to the central axis O is 72°).

[0075] When the head body 212 is pressed down, the force is not always applied in a direction along the central axis O, but may be applied from a direction oblique to the central axis O. Furthermore, the head body 212 may be pressed near the nozzle 212c or on the opposite side. If the way the head body 212 is pressed varies in this way, there is a concern that the elastic pieces 213c may not elastically deform evenly. In this case, there is a risk of variations in the magnitude of the force applied when pressing the head body 212 and the stability when the head body 212 returns to its upper limit. This variation is particularly likely to occur when the back-side ribs 210e and the elastic pieces 213c are not provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. For this reason, it is preferable that the back-side ribs 210e and the elastic pieces 213c be provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0076] The inventors of the present application further confirmed that, as a result of changing the number and arrangement of the back-side ribs 210e and the elastic pieces 213c, making the number of back-side ribs 210e greater than the number of elastic pieces 213c was effective in further suppressing variations in the amount of force required to press the head body 212 and variations in stability when the head body 212 returns to its upper limit. In other words, because the elastic member 213 of this embodiment does not have a circumferential positioning mechanism for the head body 212, the elastic pieces 213c may come into contact with the pressing wall 210d at a position directly above the back-side rib 210e, or may come into contact between adjacent back-side ribs 210e. As described above, although the rigidity of the pressing wall 210d is increased by the back-side ribs 210e, the rigidity of the pressing wall 210d is reduced between adjacent back-side ribs 210e compared to the portion directly above the back-side ribs 210e, and therefore the reaction force from the pressing wall 210d to the elastic pieces 213c is reduced accordingly. Therefore, the elastic pieces 213c that contact the pressing wall 210d between adjacent back-side ribs 210e have less radially outward deflection than the elastic pieces 213c that contact the pressing wall 210d directly above the back-side ribs 210e. Here, if the number of back-side ribs 210e and elastic pieces 213c are the same, all of the elastic pieces 213c will contact the pressing wall 210d directly above the back-side rib 210e, or all of the elastic pieces 213c will contact the pressing wall 210d between adjacent back-side ribs 210e. In other words, if the elastic force exerted by the elastic pieces 213c is set assuming that all of the elastic pieces 213c will contact the pressing wall 210d directly above the back-side rib 210e, if the elastic pieces 213c contact the pressing wall 210d between adjacent back-side ribs 210e, there is a risk that the head main body 212 will not return to its upper limit. Even in this case, if the elastic force obtained from the elastic pieces 213c is increased to return the head main body 212, the load applied to the elastic pieces 213c will increase, making the elastic pieces 213c more likely to sag.If the elastic force exerted by the elastic pieces 213c is set assuming that all of the elastic pieces 213c contact the pressing wall 210d at positions between adjacent back-side ribs 210e, when the elastic pieces 213c contact the pressing wall 210d directly above the back-side ribs 210e, the elastic pieces 213c will bend more than expected, and when pressing the head body 212, the resistance force that a finger or the like receives from the head body 212 will increase, which may impair operability. On the other hand, when the number of rear-side ribs 210e is greater than the number of elastic pieces 213c, the situation described above does not occur where all of the elastic pieces 213c contact the pressing wall 210d at positions directly above the rear-side ribs 210e, or where all of the elastic pieces 213c contact the pressing wall 210d at positions between adjacent rear-side ribs 210e. Therefore, the degree of contact with the pressing wall 210d is more averaged than when the number of rear-side ribs 210e and elastic pieces 213c is the same. This further reduces the variation in the amount of force required to press the head main body 212 and the stability when the head main body 212 returns to its upper limit. Furthermore, since the elastic force obtained from the elastic pieces 213c does not need to be excessively large, sagging of the elastic pieces 213c can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the number of rear-side ribs 210e is greater than the number of elastic pieces 213c, the rigidity of the pressing wall 210d can be maintained.

[0077] Based on these considerations, the pump-type dispenser 200 of this embodiment is provided with a total of six elastic pieces 213c spaced equally apart in the circumferential direction and a total of seven back-side ribs 210e spaced equally apart in the circumferential direction. Further studies on this pump-type dispenser 200 have shown that even when the direction in which the head body 212 is pressed down or the position at which the force is applied to the head body 212 is changed, the amount of force required to press the head body 212 and the stability of the head body 212 when returning to its upper limit are reduced. Furthermore, it has been found that even when the head body 212 is repeatedly pressed down, the wear of the elastic pieces 213c can be suppressed. It has also been found that similar effects to those of this embodiment can be obtained even when the number and positions of the back-side ribs 210e and elastic pieces 213c are appropriately changed.

[0078] 10 to 13, a pump type dispenser 300 which is a fourth embodiment of the pump type dispenser according to the present invention and a pump type dispenser 400 which is a comparative example of the pump type dispenser 300 will be described. First, the problems with the pump type dispenser 400 which is the comparative example will be described.

[0079] 13 is a partially enlarged view of the pump-type dispenser 400, which includes a head body 412 and an elastic member 413, showing the portion where the elastic member 413 is held by the head body 412. The head body 412 includes a connecting tubular portion 412a into which the stem 407a is inserted and fitted. A top portion 412b is provided at the top of the connecting tubular portion 412a. A nozzle 412c extending radially outward is provided on the top portion 412b, and a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 412e is provided at the outer edge of the top portion 412b. A reinforcing rib 412f is provided on the inside of the outer peripheral wall 412e.

[0080] The elastic member 413 has a plate-shaped head base portion 413a, and a circular through-hole (mounting hole 413b) is provided in the center of the head base portion 413a. The elastic member 413 also has an elastic piece 413c that extends downward from the underside of the head base portion 413a. When the head main body 412 is pressed downward, the elastic piece 413c comes into contact with a pressing wall (not shown) and elastically deforms in a direction away from the central axis O.

[0081] At this time, the elastic pieces 413c bend radially outward and act on the head base portion 413a to which the elastic pieces 413c are connected, causing the inner edge of the head base portion 413a to bend downward. As a result, the head base portion 413a may be elastically deformed downward as shown by the imaginary lines in Figure 13. In this case, the amount by which the elastic pieces 413c bend radially outward decreases, and there is a risk that the desired elastic force may not be obtained from the elastic pieces 413c.

[0082] On the other hand, the above-mentioned problems can be solved by a pump-type dispenser 300. As shown in Figures 10 and 12, the pump-type dispenser 300 is composed of a cylinder 301, a valve member 302, a pipe 304, an internal member 305, a piston 306, a cylindrical member 307, a holder 308, a packing 309, a cap 310, a head main body 312, an elastic member 313, and a cover 314. Here, the cylinder 301, the valve member 302, the internal member 305, the piston 306, the cylindrical member 307, and the holder 308 are members that make up the "pump" in this specification, etc., and the head main body 312 and the elastic member 313 are members that make up the "head" in this specification, etc. Of the above components, the valve member 302, piston 306, and packing 309 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 constituting the pump-type dispenser 300 is basically formed with a shape centered on the central axis O. Note that FIG. 10 shows a state in which the head main body 312 is positioned at the upper limit (rearward limit), and FIG. 12 shows a state in which the head main body 312 is positioned at the lower limit (forward limit).

[0083] The cylinder 301 includes a disk-shaped bottom wall 301a with an upwardly protruding central portion, a cylindrical tube wall 301b rising from the outer edge of the bottom wall 301a, and a flange wall 301c extending radially outward from the top of the tube wall 301b. A through-hole (suction port 301d) is provided in the protruding central portion of the bottom wall 301a. A cylindrical holding tube 301e is provided on the underside of the bottom wall 301a, surrounding the suction port 301d and extending downward to hold the pipe 304. A through-hole (vent 301f) is provided in the tube wall 301b.

[0084] The valve member 302 includes a base 302a, a valve body 302b that covers the suction port 301d inside the base 302a and seats on the upper surface of the bottom wall 301a, and an elastically deformable connecting piece 302c that connects the base 302a and the valve body 302b. The valve member 302 functions as a check valve, and when the pressure inside the cylinder 301 is reduced, the valve body 302b that has been closing the suction port 301d moves away from the bottom wall 301a, thereby opening the suction port 301d.

[0085] In this embodiment, the base 302a is cylindrical with a lid and has an opening (not shown) through which the liquid passes after passing through the suction port 301d. The base 302a is fitted and held on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall 301b, thereby holding the valve member 302 within the cylinder 301.

[0086] The pipe 304 is hollow, and its upper end is inserted into the holding cylinder 301e and is fitted and held therein.

[0087] The internal member 305 is disposed inside the cylinder 301 and moves up and down relative to the cylinder 301. The internal member 305 includes a cylindrical connecting tube 305a and a bottom portion 305b that closes the lower end of the connecting tube 305a and extends radially outward. The connecting tube 305a is provided with a hole (communication port 305c) that passes through it, and the top surface of the bottom portion 305b is provided with an annular portion 305d that is located radially outward of the connecting portion with the connecting tube 305a.

[0088] The piston 306 is inserted into the connecting tube 305a and disposed inside the cylinder 301. The piston 306 in this embodiment includes an annular base 306a. An outer sliding piece 306b extending upward and downward from the base 306a is provided on the outer edge of the base 306a. The outer sliding piece 306b slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 301b. An inner sliding piece 306c extending upward and downward from the base 306a is provided on the inner edge of the base 306a. A lower portion of the inner sliding piece 306c liquid-tightly contacts the annular portion 305d, and an upper portion of the inner sliding piece 306c slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the inner circumferential surface of an expanded diameter portion 307b (described later) of the cylindrical member 307.

[0089] The tubular member 307 is a member having an overall tubular shape. The tubular member 307 includes a cylindrical stem 307a and an expanded diameter portion 307b that is connected to the lower end of the stem 307a and has a larger diameter than the stem 307a. When the connecting tube 305a is inserted into the stem 307a, the two are fitted together, so that the internal member 305 and the tubular member 307 move integrally relative to the cylinder 301.

[0090] The holder 308 has a portion located radially outward of the stem 307a and a portion located radially outward of the expanded diameter portion 307b, and is equipped with a holder base 308a that is fitted and held on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 301b. A flange 308b extending radially outward is provided at the upper end of the holder base 308a. The holder 308 prevents the internal member 305, piston 306, and cylindrical member 307 from slipping out of the cylinder 301.

[0091] The packing 309 is in the shape of an annular plate, and is inserted into and fitted into the cylindrical wall portion 301b of the cylinder 301. When the pump-type dispenser 300 is attached to a container (not shown), the packing 309 is sandwiched between the opening of the container and the flange wall 301c. This prevents problems such as the content liquid overflowing from the opening when the container is turned over, for example.

[0092] The cap 310 has a disk-shaped top wall 310a with a through-hole in the center. A cylindrical lower peripheral wall 310b extending downward is provided at the outer edge of the top wall 310a. The upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the lower peripheral wall 310b bulges radially inward to fit and hold the flange wall 301c, thereby holding the cylinder 301 in the cap 310. The inner peripheral surface of the cap 310 is also provided with a female threaded portion 310c that screws into a male threaded portion provided at the mouth of the container. The cap 310 can be attached to the container by screwing the male threaded portion into the female threaded portion 310c.

[0093] The cap 310 also has a pressing wall 310d on the upper surface of the top wall 310a. The pressing wall 310d protrudes upward from the upper surface of the top wall 310a and has a dome shape centered on the central axis O. A through-hole through which the stem 307a passes is provided in the center of the pressing wall 310d.

[0094] A back-side rib 310e extending along the central axis O is provided on the inner side of the pressing wall 310d. In this embodiment, a total of seven back-side ribs 310e are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, as shown in Fig. 11B. Providing the back-side ribs 310e can increase the rigidity of the pressing wall 310d, thereby suppressing downward and radially inward deflection of the pressing wall 310d.

[0095] The cap 310 also has a cylindrical upper peripheral wall 310f that extends upward from the outer edge of the top wall 310a.

[0096] The head body 312 is cylindrical and includes a connecting tube portion 312a into which the stem 307a is inserted and fitted. A horizontally extending top portion 312b is provided at the top of the connecting tube portion 312a, and a cylindrical nozzle 312c is provided at the top portion 312b, extending radially outward and communicating with the stem 307a. A discharge port 312d is provided at the tip of the nozzle 312c, through which the content liquid is discharged by the pump-type dispenser 300. The head body 312 further includes a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 312e that extends downward and has a smaller diameter than the upper peripheral wall 310f. As shown in FIG. 10 , when the head main body 312 is at its uppermost position, the lower end (tip) of the outer peripheral wall 312e is located lower than the upper end (tip) of the upper peripheral wall 310f, allowing the upper peripheral wall 310f and the outer peripheral wall 312e to conceal the periphery of the pressing wall 310d. A reinforcing rib 312f is provided on the inner side of the outer peripheral wall 312e, extending downward from the top 312b and connecting to the connecting tubular portion 312a and the outer peripheral wall 312e. In this embodiment, the lower surface of the reinforcing rib 312f is formed in a stepped shape so that the side farther from the central axis O is positioned lower than the side closer to the central axis O. As shown in FIG. 11A , a total of six reinforcing ribs 312f are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, an engaging portion 312g, shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 10 , is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting tubular portion 312a. In this embodiment, the engaging portion 312g is convex, protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the connecting tubular portion 312a.

[0097] The elastic member 313 includes a plate-shaped head base portion 313a, which is provided with a circular through-hole (mounting hole 313b) in the center thereof.

[0098] The elastic member 313 also includes elastic pieces 313c that extend (downward) from the lower surface of the head base portion 313a toward the top wall 310a of the cap 310. In this embodiment, the elastic pieces 313c extend downward from their upper ends (root portions) that connect to the head base portion 313a so as to approach the central axis O, and their lower ends (tip portions) extend so as to move away from the central axis O. As shown in FIG. 11B , a total of six elastic pieces 313c are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0099] Furthermore, the elastic member 313 has a cylindrical protruding wall 313d on the upper surface of the head base portion 313a, which extends from the inner edge of the head base portion 313a where the mounting hole 313b is provided in the opposite direction (upward) to the top wall 310a of the cap 310, and a cylindrical outer protruding wall 313e which extends upward from near the point where the base portion of the elastic piece 313c connects to the head base portion 313a.

[0100] The elastic member 313 also has an engaged portion 313f, shown in the partially enlarged view of Fig. 10, on its inner circumferential surface at the location of the mounting hole 313b provided in the head base portion 313a. The engaged portion 313f in this embodiment is formed in a concave shape by recessing the inner circumferential surface of the head base portion 313a radially outward.

[0101] To attach such an elastic member 313 to the head main body 312, the connecting tube portion 312a is inserted into the mounting hole 313b, and the two are moved relative to each other until the upper surfaces of the protruding wall 313d and the outer protruding wall 313e contact the lower surface of the reinforcing rib 312f. As a result, the outer peripheral surface of the head base portion 313a is supported by the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 312e, the upper surface of the outer edge of the head base portion 313a and the upper surfaces of the protruding wall 313d and the outer protruding wall 313e are supported by the lower surface of the reinforcing rib 312f, and the inner peripheral surface of the head base portion 313a and the inner peripheral surface of the protruding wall 313d are supported by the outer peripheral surface of the connecting tube portion 312a. At this time, the engaging portion 312g and the engaged portion 313f engage with each other, as shown in the partially enlarged view of FIG. 10.

[0102] The cover 314 has a plate-shaped cover top wall 314a extending horizontally. A cylindrical cover peripheral wall 314b extending downward is provided on the outer edge of the cover top wall 314a. The inner peripheral surface at the lower end of the cover peripheral wall 314b is configured to detachably fit with the outer peripheral surface of the lower peripheral wall 310b. When the head main body 312 is attached to cover the cover 314 as shown in FIG. 10 , the cover 314 is held by the cap 310.

[0103] In the pump-type dispenser 300 configured using such members, the tip of the elastic member 313 extends away from the central axis O, as shown in Fig. 10. That is, when attaching the head body 312 to which the elastic member 313 is attached to the stem 307a, if the elastic member 313 comes into contact with the pressing wall 310d in a direction perpendicular to the pressing wall 310d, the elastic member 313 is difficult to bend, and a strong force is required to attach the head body 312. However, in this embodiment, the tip of the elastic member 313 comes into contact with the pressing wall 310d and is guided radially outward, so that excessive force is not required to attach the head body 312.

[0104] 10 , before the head body 312 is pressed, the tip of the elastic piece 313c contacts the pressing wall 310d, causing the elastic piece 313c to bend slightly radially inward, and the head body 312 is moved to its uppermost position (retracted position). When the cover 314 is removed and the head body 312 is pressed down from above (moving the head body 312 forward toward the cap 310), the stem 307a is pushed down together with the head body 312 (moving the stem 307a forward toward the cap 310 along the central axis O). As the stem 307a is pushed down, the bottom 305b also descends via the connecting tube 305a, releasing the liquid-tight contact between the annular portion 305d and the lower part of the inner sliding piece 306c. When the head body 312 is further pressed down, the piston 306 descends along with the cylindrical member 307 and internal member 305, pressurizing the interior of the cylinder 301. As a result, the liquid content in the cylinder 301 passes through the communication port 305c, passes through the inside of the connecting tube 305a, stem 307a, connecting tube portion 312a, and nozzle 312c, and is then discharged to the outside from the discharge port 312d. Note that when the head body 312 is pressed down and the piston 306 descends below the vent port 301f, a container (not shown) communicates with the outside via the vent port 301f. This prevents the pressure inside the container from becoming negative even if the liquid content stored in the container decreases, preventing the container from being deformed or crushed.

[0105] Furthermore, when the head main body 312 is pressed down, the pressing wall 310d in contact with the elastic piece 313c applies a pressing force to the elastic piece 313c, causing the elastic piece 313c to bend radially outward, as shown in Figure 12. At this time, the elastic piece 313c, which is connected to the head base portion 313a, is subjected to a force that causes the inner edge of the head base portion 313a to bend downward due to the elastic piece 313c bending radially outward. On the other hand, the head base portion 313a of this embodiment is provided with a protruding wall 313d that extends upward, and even if the inner edge of the head base portion 313a is subjected to a force that causes the protruding wall 313d to bend downward, this protruding wall 313d comes into contact with the connecting tube portion 312a, thereby suppressing the bending of the head base portion 313a. In other words, if the head base portion 313a bends, the amount by which the elastic piece 313c bends radially outward will decrease, and in this case the intended elastic force will not be obtained from the elastic piece 313c, but in this embodiment, the bending of the head base portion 313a is suppressed and the elastic piece 313c bends radially outward as intended, so that the desired elastic force can be obtained from the elastic piece 313c. Also, in this embodiment, as shown in the partially enlarged view of Figure 10, the engaging portion 312g and the engaged portion 313f are engaged with each other, which more reliably prevents the inner edge of the head base portion 313a from bending downward, and therefore the desired elastic force is obtained from the elastic piece 313c.

[0106] The protruding wall 313d may be provided partially in the circumferential direction of the head base portion 313a, but if a pressing force acts on the head main body 312 on the side where the protruding wall 313d is not provided, there is a risk that the head base portion 313a will bend. On the other hand, if the protruding wall 313d is cylindrical like in this embodiment, it is possible to reliably suppress the bending of the head base portion 313a even if a pressing force acts on the head main body 312 in a one-sided manner, and it is possible to stably obtain the desired elastic force from the elastic piece 313c.

[0107] If the rigidity of the pressing wall 310d is low, the pressing wall 310d will bend inward, resulting in insufficient radial outward bending of the elastic piece 313c. However, the pressing wall 310d of this embodiment is provided with a back-side rib 310e, which increases the rigidity of the pressing wall 310d, so that the elastic piece 313c can be bent as intended.

[0108] Thereafter, when the pressure on head body 312 is released, the elastic force of elastic piece 313c, which has been elastically deformed, acts on head body 312, causing head body 312 to begin to rise. Accordingly, annular portion 305d and the lower portion of inner sliding piece 306c once again come into liquid-tight contact, and piston 306 rises together with internal member 305, reducing the pressure inside cylinder 301. This causes valve body 302b to move away from bottom wall portion 301a, opening suction port 301d and allowing the liquid content within the container to be sucked into cylinder 301 through pipe 304. If head body 312 is then pressed, the liquid content will again be discharged from discharge port 312d.

[0109] While one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, this embodiment may be modified as follows: For example, the pump described above is merely an example, and the present invention also includes cases in which other types of pumps are used.

[0110] 1 to 6, the number of elastic pieces 10e, 10p and their positions are not limited to those in the above-described embodiment and can be changed as appropriate.Furthermore, the number of reinforcing ribs 10k, 10u and their positions are not limited to those in the above-described embodiment and can be changed as appropriate.

[0111] 1 to 6, the cap 10 is provided with the elastic piece 10e and the head main body 12 is provided with the extension 12f, but the extension 12f may be provided on the cap 10 and the elastic piece 10e on the head main body 12. Similarly, the elastic piece 10p provided on the cap 10A may be provided on the head main body 14 or the head inner member 15, and the extension 15a provided on the head inner member 15 may be provided on the cap 10A.

[0112] 7 to 9, the "head" is made up of two members, the head body 212 and the elastic member 213, but it may be made up of a single member.

[0113] In the embodiment shown in Figures 7 to 9, no circumferential positioning mechanism is provided between the head main body 212 and the elastic member 213 in order to improve ease of attachment, but this positioning mechanism may be provided if it is preferable to prioritize accurate positioning of the two over ease of attachment.

[0114] 10 to 12, the engaging portion 312g is convex and the engaged portion 313f is concave, but the engaging portion 312g may be concave and the engaged portion 313f may be convex. Also, the engaged portion 313f in this embodiment is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the head base portion 313a at the location of the mounting hole 313b, but it may be provided on the inner circumferential surface of the connecting tube portion 312a, or may be provided so as to straddle both the inner circumferential surface of the head base portion 313a and the engaged portion 313f.

[0115] (Additional Note) In one aspect, the present specification discloses the following technology.

[0116] (Technology 1) A pump-type dispenser (100) comprising a cap (10) attached to the mouth of a container that contains a liquid content, a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap (10) and is driven by the back-and-forth movement of a stem (7a), and a head (12, 13) having a discharge port (12d) that discharges the liquid content to the outside and connected to the stem (7a), wherein the liquid content in the container is discharged from the discharge port (12d) by moving the head (12, 13) toward the cap (10), wherein either the head (12, 13) or the cap (10) has an extension portion (12f) that extends toward the other of the head (12, 13) or the cap (10), The other of the head (12, 13) and the cap (10) has a base portion (10a) and an elastic piece (10e) whose root portion (10e1) is connected to the base portion (10a) and which is bent by the extension portion (12f) in a direction approaching the central axis (O) of the stem (7a) when the head (12, 13) is advanced toward the cap (10), and an extension portion tip portion (12g) located on the tip side of the extension portion (12f) and contacting the elastic piece (10e) extends in a direction approaching the central axis (O) as it moves away from the other of the head (12, 13) and the cap (10), The elastic piece (10e) has a main body portion (10e2) extending from the root portion (10e1) toward either the head (12, 13) or the cap (10) in a direction away from the central axis (O).

[0117] This technology reduces the rate at which the force required to bend the elastic piece increases, so that the resistance force that a finger or the like receives from the head when pressing the head increases gradually, making the feeling when pressing the head lighter and improving operability.

[0118] (Technology 2) The pump-type dispenser (100) according to Technology 1, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion (10e2) is located farther from the central axis (O) than the outer peripheral surface of the base portion (10e1) when the heads (12, 13) move between their backward and forward limits.

[0119] This technology can reduce the load applied to the base of the elastic piece, thereby preventing the elastic piece from becoming worn when repeatedly flexed.

[0120] (Technology 3) The pump-type dispenser (100) according to Technology 1, wherein the tip portion (10e3) of the elastic piece (10e) extends in a direction approaching the central axis (O) as it moves toward either the head (12, 13) or the cap (10).

[0121] This technique prevents the elastic piece from being bent in an incorrect direction when assembling the pump-type dispenser, improving ease of assembly.

[0122] (Technology 4) A pump-type dispenser (100A) comprising a cap (10A) attached to the mouth of a container that contains a liquid content, a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap (10A) and is driven by the back-and-forth movement of a stem (7a), and a head (14, 15) having a discharge port (14d) that discharges the liquid content to the outside and connected to the stem (7a), wherein the liquid content in the container is discharged from the discharge port (14d) by moving the head (14, 15) toward the cap (10A), wherein either the head (14, 15) or the cap (10A) has an extension portion (15a) that extends toward the other of the head (14, 15) or the cap (10A), The other of the head (14, 15) and the cap (10A) has a base portion (10a) and an elastic piece (10p) whose root portion (10p1) is connected to the base portion (10a) and which is bent by the extension portion (15a) in a direction away from the central axis (O) of the stem (7a) when the head (14, 15) is advanced toward the cap (10), and an extension portion tip portion (15b) located on the tip side of the extension portion (15a) and in contact with the elastic piece (10p) extends in a direction away from the central axis (O) as it moves away from the other of the head (14, 15) and the cap (10A), The elastic piece (10p) has a main body portion (10p2) extending from the root portion (10p1) toward either the head (14, 15) or the cap (10A) in a direction approaching the central axis (O).

[0123] This technology also reduces the rate at which the force required to bend the elastic piece increases, so that the resistance force that a finger or the like receives from the head when pressing the head increases gradually, making the feeling when pressing the head lighter and improving operability.

[0124] (Technology 5) The pump-type dispenser (100A) according to Technology 4, wherein the inner circumferential surface of the main body portion (10p2) is located closer to the central axis (O) than the inner circumferential surface of the base portion (10p1) when the head (14, 15) moves between the backward limit and the forward limit.

[0125] This technique also prevents the load applied to the base of the elastic piece from becoming excessively large, making it possible to suppress the occurrence of settling that occurs when the elastic piece is repeatedly flexed.

[0126] (Technology 6) The pump-type dispenser (100A) according to Technology 4, wherein the tip portion (10p3) of the elastic piece (10p) extends in a direction away from the central axis (O) as it moves toward either the head (14, 15) or the cap (10A).

[0127] This technique also prevents the elastic piece from being bent in an incorrect direction when assembling the pump-type dispenser, improving the ease of assembly.

[0128] (Technology 7) The pump-type dispenser (100, 100A) according to Technology 1 or 4, wherein a plurality of the elastic pieces (10e, 10p) are provided at equal intervals in a direction circling the central axis (O) on the other of the head (12, 13, 14, 15) and the cap (10, 10A).

[0129] This technology allows the elastic force from the elastic pieces to be applied evenly to the head in the circumferential direction, so good operability can be achieved even when the head is pressed obliquely, for example.

[0130] (Technology 8) A pump-type dispenser (200) comprising: a cap (210) attached to the mouth of a container that contains a liquid content; a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap (210) and is driven by the back-and-forth movement of a stem (207a); and heads (212, 213) having a discharge port (212d) that discharges the liquid content to the outside and connected to the stem (207a), wherein the liquid content in the container is discharged from the discharge port (212d) by moving the heads (212, 213) along the central axis (O) of the stem (207a), wherein the cap (210) has a dome-shaped pressing wall (210d) that protrudes toward the heads (212, 213) and is centered on the central axis (O), The heads (212, 213) have a head base portion (213a) and an elastic piece (213c) whose root portion (213c1) is connected to the head base portion (213a) and which is bent in a direction away from the central axis (O) by the pressing wall (210d) when the heads (212, 213) are advanced toward the cap (210), and the elastic piece (213c) has a main body portion (213c2) which extends in a direction approaching the central axis (O) as it moves from the root portion (213c1) toward the cap (210).

[0131] With this technology, when the head is advanced toward the cap, the elastic piece is bent by the pressing wall, and when the bent elastic piece returns to its original position, the head can be returned to its initial position. Furthermore, because the above-mentioned elastic piece is used instead of a metal coil spring, there is no need to separate the metal parts after use, as was done with conventional pump-type dispensers. Furthermore, the resin part can be reused as is, making it highly recyclable. Furthermore, because the force required to bend the elastic piece increases gradually, the feel when pressing the head is lighter, improving operability. Furthermore, the load on the elastic piece can be reduced, preventing it from becoming worn.

[0132] (Technology 9) The pump-type dispenser (200) according to Technology 8, wherein the tip of the elastic piece (213c) extends in a direction away from the central axis (O) as it approaches the cap (210).

[0133] This technique prevents the elastic piece from being bent in an incorrect direction when assembling the pump-type dispenser, improving ease of assembly.

[0134] (Technology 10) The pump-type discharger (200) according to Technology 8 or 9, wherein the pressing wall (210d) has a back-side rib (210e) extending along the central axis (O), the back-side rib (210e) is provided at intervals in a direction circumferentially around the central axis (O), and the angle between adjacent back-side ribs (210e) with respect to the central axis (O) is 75° or less.

[0135] This technology can eliminate the lack of rigidity of the pressing wall, thereby suppressing the insufficient deflection of the elastic piece when the head is pressed down, allowing the head to return to its upper limit more reliably.

[0136] (Technology 11) The pump-type discharger (200) according to Technology 10, wherein the back-side ribs (210e) are provided in a plurality at equal intervals in a direction circling the central axis (O), and the elastic pieces (213c) are provided in a plurality at equal intervals in a direction circling the central axis (O).

[0137] This technology makes it possible to reduce variations in the amount of force required to press the head and in the stability when the head returns to its upper limit.

[0138] (Technology 12) The pump-type dispenser (200) according to Technology 11, wherein the number of the rear surface side ribs (210e) is greater than the number of the elastic pieces (213c).

[0139] This technology further reduces variations in the amount of force required to press the head and in the stability when the head returns to its upper limit.

[0140] (Technology 13) The head (212, 213) comprises: a head main body (212) having the discharge port (212d) and a cylindrical portion (212a) connected to the stem (207a), extending along the central axis (O), and having an internal passage leading to the discharge port (212d); and an elastic member (213) having the head base portion (213a) and the elastic piece (213c), and attached to the inside of the head main body (212), wherein the head base portion (213a) is plate-shaped and has an attachment hole (213a1) in the center through which the cylindrical portion (212a) is inserted, and the head main body (212) has an engagement portion (212f) that holds the outer edge of the head base portion (213a) in place.

[0141] This technology makes the structure for providing the elastic piece to the head more suitable for mass production, making it easier to realize the present invention.

[0142] (Technology 14) A pump-type dispenser (300) comprising: a cap (310) attached to the mouth of a container that contains a liquid content; a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap (310) and is driven by the back-and-forth movement of a stem (307a); and a head having a discharge port (312d) for discharging the liquid content to the outside and connected to the stem (307a), wherein the liquid content in the container is discharged from the discharge port (312d) by moving the head along the central axis (O) of the stem (307a), wherein the cap (310) has a pressing wall (310d) that protrudes toward the head, and the head comprises: a head body (312) having the discharge port (312d) and a connecting tubular portion (312a) connected to the stem (307a) and leading to the discharge port (312d); a head base portion (313a) that has an attachment hole (313b) that is inserted into the connecting tube portion (312a) and is held by the head main body (312); an elastic member (313) that includes: an elastic piece (313c) that extends from the head base portion (313a) toward the cap (310) and is deflected by the pressing wall (310d) when the head main body (312) is advanced toward the cap (310); and a protruding wall (313d) that extends in the opposite direction to the cap (310) from a portion of the head base portion (313a) where the attachment hole (313b) is provided.

[0143] With this technology, in a pump-type dispenser having a head body and an elastic member, when the head body is pressed and the elastic piece attached to the elastic member is bent radially outward, the head base portion to which the elastic piece is connected has its protruding wall come into contact with the connecting tube portion, suppressing bending, so that the elastic piece can be bent radially outward as intended, and the desired elastic force can be obtained from the elastic piece.

[0144] (Technology 15) A pump-type dispenser (300) according to Technology 14, which has an engaging portion (312g) on ​​the outer peripheral surface of the connecting tube portion (312a), and an engaged portion (313f) that engages with the engaging portion (312g) on ​​at least one of the inner peripheral surface of the head base portion (313a) where the mounting hole (313b) is located and the inner peripheral surface of the protruding wall (313d).

[0145] This technique makes it possible to more reliably prevent the head base portion from being bent by the engaging portion and the engaged portion, so that the elastic force obtained from the elastic piece is more reliably as desired.

[0146] (Technology 16) The pump-type dispenser (300) according to Technology 14, wherein the protruding wall (313d) is cylindrical.

[0147] This technology makes it possible to reliably suppress the deflection of the head base portion even when a pressing force acts unevenly on the head body, and to obtain a stable, desired elastic force from the elastic piece.

[0148] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this specific embodiment. Unless otherwise specified 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 that can be obtained from the present invention. In other words, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and additional effects may be obtained in addition to the above-described effects.

[0149] 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, 10A: Cap 10a: Top wall (base portion) 10b: Peripheral wall 10c: Female thread portion 10d: Anti-rotation recess 10e: Elastic piece 10e1: Elastic piece root portion (root portion) 10e2: Elastic piece main body (main body) 10e3: Elastic piece tip (tip) 10h: First curved portion 10j: Second curved portion 10k: Reinforcing rib 10m: Inner annular wall 10p: Elastic piece 10p1: Elastic piece base (base) 10p2: Elastic piece main body (main body) 10p3: Elastic piece tip (tip) 10s: First curved portion 10t: Second curved portion 10u: Reinforcing rib 11: Cover 11a: Cover peripheral wall 11b: Anti-slip protrusion 11c: Rib 12: Head main body (head) 12a: Cylindrical portion 12b: Top 12c: Nozzle 12d: Discharge port 12e: Outer circumferential wall 12f: Extension 12g: Extension tip 13: Lid (head) 14: Head main body (head) 14a: Cylindrical portion 14b: Top portion 14c: Nozzle 14d: Discharge port 14e: Outer peripheral wall 14f: Outer fitting wall 14g: Inner fitting wall 15: Head inner member (head) 15a: Extension portion 15b: Extension portion tip portion 100, 100A: Pump type dispenser 200: Pump type dispenser 201: Cylinder 201a: Bottom wall portion 201b: Cylindrical wall portion 201c: Flange wall 201d: Suction port 201e: Retaining cylinder 201f: Vent 202: Valve member 202a: Base portion 202b: Valve body portion 202c: Connecting piece 204: Pipe 205: Internal member 205a: Connecting cylinder 205b: Bottom portion 205c: Communication port 205d: Annular portion 206: Piston 206a: Base 206b: Outer sliding piece 206c: Inner sliding piece 207: Cylindrical member 207a: Stem 207b: Expanded diameter portion 208: Holder 208a: Holder base 208b: Flange 209: Packing 210: Cap 210a: Top wall 210b: Lower peripheral wall 210c: Female thread portion 210d: Pressing wall210e: Back surface rib 210f: Upper peripheral wall 212: Head main body (head) 212a: Cylindrical portion 212b: Top portion 212c: Nozzle 212d: Discharge port 212e: Outer peripheral wall 212f: Engagement portion 213: Elastic member (head) 213a: Head base portion 213a1: Mounting hole 213b: Cylindrical wall 213c: Elastic piece 213c1: Elastic piece root portion (root portion) 213c2: Elastic piece main body portion (main body portion) 213c3: Elastic piece tip portion 213d: Reinforcing rib 214: Nozzle cover 214a: Tip cover portion 214b: Stopper portion 214c: Cover rib 300: Pump-type dispenser 301: Cylinder 301a: Bottom wall portion 301b: Cylindrical wall portion 301c: Flange wall 301d: Suction port 301e: Retaining cylinder 301f: Vent 302: Valve member 302a: Base 302b: Valve body 302c: Connecting piece 304: Pipe 305: Internal member 305a: Connecting cylinder 305b: Bottom 305c: Communication port 305d: Annular portion 306: Piston 306a: Base 306b: Outer sliding piece 306c: Inner sliding piece 307: Cylindrical member 307a: Stem 307b: Expanded diameter portion 308: Holder 308a: Holder base 308b: Flange 309: Gasket 310: Cap 310a: Top wall 310b: Lower peripheral wall 310c: Female thread portion 310d: Pressing wall 310e: Backside rib 310f: Upper peripheral wall 312: Head main body 312a: Connecting tube portion 312b: Top portion 312c: Nozzle 312d: Discharge port 312e: Outer peripheral wall 312f: Reinforcing rib 312g: Engagement portion 313: Elastic member 313a: Head base portion 313b: Mounting hole 313c: Elastic piece 313d: Protruding wall 313e: Outer protruding wall 313f: Engaged portion 314: Cover 314a: Cover top wall 314b: Cover peripheral wall O: Central axis P: Contact point

Claims

1. A pump-type dispenser comprising a cap attached to the mouth of a container that contains liquid contents, 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 has a discharge port that discharges the liquid contents to the outside and is connected to the stem, and that dispenses the liquid contents from the container from the discharge port by moving the head toward the cap, wherein one of the head and the cap has an extension that extends toward the other of the head and the cap, and the other of the head and the cap has a base and an elastic piece that is connected to the base at its root and is bent by the extension in a direction approaching the central axis of the stem when the head is advanced toward the cap, and the tip of the extension that is located on the tip side of the extension and contacts the elastic piece extends in a direction approaching the central axis as it moves away from the other of the head and the cap, The elastic piece has a main body portion extending from the base portion toward either the head or the cap in a direction away from the central axis.

2. A pump-type dispenser as described in claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the main body is located farther from the central axis than the outer surface of the base when the head moves between its backward and forward limits.

3. A pump-type dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the tip of said elastic piece extends in a direction approaching said central axis as it moves toward either said head or said cap.

4. A pump-type dispenser comprising a cap attached to the mouth of a container that contains liquid contents, 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 has a discharge port that discharges the liquid contents to the outside and is connected to the stem, and that discharges the liquid contents from the container from the discharge port by moving the head toward the cap, wherein one of the head and the cap has an extension that extends toward the other of the head and the cap, and the other of the head and the cap has a base and an elastic piece that is connected to the base at its root and is bent by the extension in a direction away from the central axis of the stem when the head is moved toward the cap, and the tip of the extension that is located at the tip side of the extension and contacts the elastic piece extends in a direction away from the central axis as it moves away from the other of the head and the cap, The elastic piece has a main body portion extending from the base portion toward either the head or the cap in a direction approaching the central axis.

5. A pump-type dispenser as described in claim 4, wherein the inner circumferential surface of the main body is located closer to the central axis than the inner circumferential surface of the base when the head moves between its backward and forward limits.

6. A pump-type dispenser according to claim 4, wherein the tip of said elastic piece extends in a direction away from said central axis as it approaches either said head or said cap.

7. A pump-type dispenser according to claim 1 or 4, wherein a plurality of said elastic pieces are provided at equal intervals in a direction circumferentially around said central axis on the other of said head and said cap.

8. A pump-type dispenser comprising: a cap attached to the mouth of a container that contains liquid contents; 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 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 along the central axis of the stem, wherein the cap has a dome-shaped pressing wall that protrudes toward the head and is centered on the central axis, the head has a head base portion and an elastic piece that is connected at its root portion to the head base portion and is bent by the pressing wall in a direction away from the central axis when the head is moved forward toward the cap, and the elastic piece has a main body portion that extends from the root portion toward the cap in a direction approaching the central axis.

9. A pump-type dispenser according to claim 8, wherein the tip of said elastic piece extends in a direction away from said central axis as it approaches said cap.

10. A pump-type dispenser as described in claim 8 or 9, wherein the pressing wall has a back-side rib extending along the central axis, the back-side ribs being provided at intervals in a direction circumferentially around the central axis, and the angle between adjacent back-side ribs relative to the central axis is 75° or less.

11. A pump-type dispenser as described in claim 10, wherein the backside ribs are provided in a plurality at equal intervals in a direction circling the central axis, and the elastic pieces are provided in a plurality at equal intervals in a direction circling the central axis.

12. The pump-type dispenser according to claim 11, wherein the number of the rear surface ribs is greater than the number of the elastic pieces.

13. A pump-type dispenser as described in claim 8, wherein the head comprises: a head body having the discharge port and a tubular portion connected to the stem, extending along the central axis and having an internal passage leading to the discharge port; and an elastic member having the head base portion and the elastic piece and attached to the inside of the head body, wherein the head base portion is plate-shaped and has an attachment hole in the center through which the tubular portion is inserted; and the head body has an engaging portion that holds the outer edge of the head base portion in place.

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