Pump-type dispenser

Abstract

Provided is a pump-type dispenser in which an elastic piece is less likely to suffer from a loss in elasticity.　A cap (10) in a pump-type dispenser (100A) has an extended section (10d) extending toward a head, the head has a base section (13a) and an elastic piece (13c), and the head is rotatable with respect to the cap (10) between a pressable position at which the head is movable toward the cap (10) and a non-pressable position at which the head is prevented from moving toward the cap (10). The extended section (10d) comprises: a pressing section (10e) that is brought into contact with the elastic piece (13c) and bends the elastic piece (13c) by a standby bending amount when the head is rotated to the pressable position; and a recessed section (10f) that bends the elastic piece (13c) by a bending amount smaller than the standby bending amount or is not brought into contact with the elastic piece (13c) when the head is rotated to the non-pressable position.

Description

Pump-type dispenser ,

[0004] ,

[0006] ,

[0005] ,

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

[0002] As a pump-type dispenser, it includes a cap attached to the mouth of a container, a pump driven by the stem advancing and retracting while being held at the mouth by the cap, and a head connected to the stem. It is known that the content liquid in the container is discharged from the discharge port of the head by moving the head toward the cap (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Inside such a pump-type dispenser, as shown in Patent Document 1, a coil spring is provided to return the head moved toward the cap to its initial position. In this type of pump-type dispenser, although most members are made of synthetic resin, the coil spring is made of metal. Therefore, when it is discarded after use, there is a problem that it cannot be recycled as a resin product in this state. Also, in this type of pump-type dispenser, in order to avoid members coming off during normal use, the members are firmly fixed to each other, for example, by fitting. Therefore, it takes time to disassemble the pump-type dispenser and separate the coil spring from other members.

[0004] In response to such problems, Patent Document 2 shows a pump-type dispenser in which elastic pieces are provided on the cap or the head instead of the coil spring. In the pump-type dispenser of Patent Document 2, when the head is lowered toward the cap, the elastic piece elastically deform, and when the elastically deformed elastic piece returns, the head can be raised as in the conventional case. Also, the pump-type dispenser of Patent Document 2 does not require the work of separating the coil spring at the time of disposal, and since it can be reused as a resin product as it is, it is also excellent in recyclability.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-31950 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-50382

[0006] Incidentally, flexible elastic pieces generally tend to sag, and when sagging occurs, sufficient restoring force may not be obtained. For this reason, if sagging occurs in the elastic piece of a pump-type discharger, the head may not return to its initial upper limit. In the pump-type discharger of Patent Document 2, two types of elastic pieces with opposite bending directions are used to suppress the effect of sagging by the twisting force between the two types of elastic pieces, but it would be preferable to suppress the effect of sagging even more effectively.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve these problems and proposes a pump-type discharger that is highly recyclable and less prone to deformation of the elastic piece.

[0008] The pump-type dispenser of the present invention comprises a cap attached to the mouth of a container holding liquid contents, a pump driven by the movement of a stem held at the mouth by the cap, and a head having a discharge port for discharging the liquid contents to the outside and connected to the stem, wherein the liquid contents in the container are discharged from the discharge port by moving the head along the central axis of the stem, the cap has an extension portion extending toward the head, and the head has a base portion and a root portion connected to the base portion that faces toward the cap The extension has an elastic piece that, when moved forward, bends away from the central axis, and is rotatable relative to the cap between a pressable position where it can move toward the cap and a non-pressable position where movement toward the cap is prevented, and the extension has a pressing portion that contacts the elastic piece and bends the elastic piece by a standby deflection amount when the head is rotated to the pressable position, and a recessed portion that bends the elastic piece by a deflection amount less than the standby deflection amount or does not contact the elastic piece when the head is rotated to the non-pressable position.

[0009] Another pump-type dispenser of the present invention comprises a cap attached to the mouth of a container holding liquid contents, a pump driven by the movement of a stem held at the mouth by the cap, and a head having a discharge port for discharging liquid contents to the outside and connected to the stem, wherein the liquid contents in the container are discharged from the discharge port by moving the head toward the cap, the head has a head top wall, a head outer circumferential wall connected to the head top wall, and an inclined rib protruding from the inner surface of the head outer circumferential wall toward the central axis of the stem and inclined toward the central axis toward the head top wall toward the cap, the cap has a base portion and an elastic piece whose root portion is connected to the base portion and which bends toward the central axis toward the central axis by the inclined rib when the head is advanced toward the cap, the elastic piece extends toward the central axis toward the head from the root portion toward the head.

[0010] According to the pump-type dispenser of the present invention described above, and other pump-type dispensers of the present invention, when the head is advanced toward the cap, the elastic piece bends, and when the bent elastic piece returns to its original position, the head can be returned to its initial position. Furthermore, since the above-mentioned elastic piece is used instead of a metal coil spring, after use, the work of separating metal parts that was performed with conventional pump-type dispensers is unnecessary, and it can be reused as a resin product as is, thus offering excellent recyclability.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the pump-type discharger of the present invention, when the head is rotated to a position where it can be pressed, the pressing part that contacts the elastic piece causes the elastic piece to bend by a predetermined amount (standby bending amount), thereby allowing the head to return to its upper limit. Also, when the head is rotated to a position where it cannot be pressed, such as when not in use, the amount of bending of the elastic piece can be reduced by the recessed part, making the elastic piece less prone to deformation.

[0012] Furthermore, in other pump-type dischargers of the present invention, the elastic piece extends away from the central axis of the stem as it moves from the base toward the head, and its length is longer than that of an elastic piece that extends straight along the central axis. In other words, according to the present invention, the rate of increase in the force required to bend the elastic piece is slower than that of an elastic piece that extends straight, so the resistance force that fingers or other objects receive from the head when moving the head downwards increases more gradually, making the feel when moving the head lighter and improving operability. In addition, because the rate of increase in the force required to bend the elastic piece is slower, the load applied to the elastic piece can be reduced, and thus the deformation of the elastic piece can be suppressed.

[0013] The inclined rib that flexes the elastic piece is tilted from the cap toward the top wall of the head toward the central axis, and the contact point on the inclined rib that contacts the elastic piece moves from the cap side toward the head side on the inclined rib as the head is advanced toward the cap. If, for example, the part that flexes the elastic piece is edge-shaped (for example, bent at a right angle), and the position of the contact point with respect to the elastic piece does not change even when the head is moved, then the distance from the base of the elastic piece to the contact point will decrease as the head is advanced toward the cap. On the other hand, according to the present invention, as the head is advanced toward the cap, the elastic piece approaches the head, but the contact point moves from the cap side to the head side on the inclined rib when the head is advanced toward the cap, so the distance from the base of the elastic piece to the contact point becomes longer compared to the case where the contact point does not change. In other words, in this respect as well, the rate of increase in the force required to flex the elastic piece becomes more gradual, which effectively contributes to improved operability and suppression of deformation of the elastic piece.

[0014] This is a cross-sectional side view (a cross-sectional view along C1-C1 in Figure 2 and C2-C2 in Figure 3) showing the state in which the head has been rotated to a non-pressable position, relating to the first embodiment of the pump-type discharger according to the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view along A-A in Figure 1. This is a cross-sectional view along B-B in Figure 1. This is a perspective view of the inner head member shown in Figure 1. This is a cross-sectional side view (a cross-sectional view along D1-D1 in Figure 3 and D2-D2 in Figure 6) showing the state in which the head has been rotated to a pressable position and is at the upper limit (retraction limit), relating to the pump-type discharger shown in Figure 1. This is a cross-sectional view along E-E in Figure 5. This is a cross-sectional side view of the pump-type discharger shown in Figure 5 with the head at the lower limit (forward limit). This is a cross-sectional side view (a cross-sectional view along G-G in Figure 9) showing the state in which the head has been rotated to a non-pressable position, relating to the second embodiment of the pump-type discharger according to the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view along F-F in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional side view showing the pump-type discharger with the head rotated to the pressable position and the head at its upper limit (retraction limit). Figure 9 shows a modified version of the pump-type discharger shown in Figure 8. Figure 13A shows a cross-sectional side view (a cross-sectional view along C-C shown in Figure 13A) showing the head at its upper limit (retraction limit) in a third embodiment of the pump-type discharger according to the present invention (the head is in the operating position). Figure 12 shows a cross-sectional view along A-A. Figure 12 shows a cross-sectional view along B-B. Figure 12 shows a cross-sectional rear view of the pump-type discharger (a cross-sectional view along D-D shown in Figure 13A). Figure 14 shows a cross-sectional side view showing the pump-type discharger with the head at its lower limit (forward limit). Figure 15 shows a cross-sectional view along E-E. Figure 13A shows a cross-sectional view showing the head in the standby position after rotating the head from the state shown in Figure 13A (the head in the operating position).

[0015] Hereinafter, a pump-type discharger 100A, which is a first embodiment of the pump-type discharger according to the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the vertical direction is the direction along the central axis O shown in the figure (the central axis of the stem 7a described later), where the side where the pipe 4 is located is "down" and the side where the head body 12 is located is "up". In this specification, the movement of the head body 12 when it is pressed downward is described as the head body 12 moving forward, and the movement of the pressed head body 12 returning upward is described as the head body 12 moving backward. For this reason, in the following description, the above-mentioned vertical direction may be referred to as the front-rear direction. The radial direction is the direction perpendicular to the central axis O in a plane perpendicular to the central axis O, and the circumferential direction is the direction of rotation around the central axis O in this plane.

[0016] The pump-type dispenser 100A of this embodiment is used by being attached to the mouth of a bottle-shaped container (not shown). The liquid contents to be dispensed by the pump-type dispenser 100A are, for example, cosmetics (such as lotions and toners), shampoos, body soaps, hand soaps, facial cleansers, etc.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1, 5, and 7, the pump-type discharger 100A is composed of a cylinder 1, a valve member 2, a pipe 4, an internal member 5, a piston 6, a cylindrical member 7, a holder 8, a packing 9, a cap 10, a head body 12, and an inner head member 13. Here, the cylinder 1, valve member 2, internal member 5, piston 6, cylindrical member 7, and holder 8 are components that constitute the "pump" as defined herein, and the head body 12 and inner head member 13 are components that constitute the "head" as defined herein. Of the above components, the valve member 2, piston 6, and packing 9 are made of elastic, soft synthetic resin (e.g., polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE, foamed PE)), while the other components are made of hard synthetic resin (e.g., polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyacetal (POM), polyketone (POK) resin, etc.). Each component constituting the pump-type discharger 100A is basically shaped around a central axis O. The head body 12 is circumferentially rotatable between a pressable position and a non-pressable position relative to the cap 10, and when rotated to the pressable position, it can be pushed downwards. Figure 1 shows the head body 12 rotated to the non-pressable position, and Figure 5 shows the head body 12 rotated to the pressable position. Figure 5 also shows the head body 12 at its upper limit (retraction limit). Figure 7 shows the head body 12 at its lower limit (advance limit).

[0018] The cylinder 1 has a disc-shaped bottom wall portion 1a with a central part protruding upward, a cylindrical cylindrical wall portion 1b rising from the outer edge of the bottom wall portion 1a, and a flange wall 1c extending radially outward from the upper part of the cylindrical wall portion 1b. A through hole (suction port 1d) is provided in the central part of the bottom wall portion 1a that protrudes upward. A cylindrical retaining cylinder 1e is provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 1a, surrounding the suction port 1d and extending downward to hold the pipe 4. A through hole (vent 1f) is provided in the cylindrical wall portion 1b.

[0019] The valve member 2 comprises a base portion 2a, a valve body portion 2b that covers the suction port 1d inside the base portion 2a and sits on the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 1a, and an elastically deformable connecting piece 2c that connects the base portion 2a and the valve body portion 2b. The valve member 2 functions as a check valve, and when the inside of the cylinder 1 becomes depressurized, the valve body portion 2b that was closing the suction port 1d separates from the bottom wall portion 1a, opening the suction port 1d.

[0020] In this embodiment, the base portion 2a is shaped like a capped cylinder and has an opening (not shown) through which the liquid contents that have passed through the suction port 1d pass. The base portion 2a is fitted and held to the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder wall portion 1b, thereby holding the valve member 2 inside the cylinder 1.

[0021] The pipe 4 is hollow, and its upper end is inserted into the retaining cylinder 1e and fitted and held in place therein.

[0022] The internal member 5 is positioned inside the cylinder 1 and moves up and down relative to the cylinder 1. The internal member 5 comprises a cylindrical connecting cylinder 5a and a bottom portion 5b that closes the lower end of the connecting cylinder 5a and extends radially outward. The connecting cylinder 5a is provided with a hole (communication opening 5c) that passes through it, and the upper surface of the bottom portion 5b is provided with an annular portion 5d that is located radially outward from the connection portion with the connecting cylinder 5a.

[0023] The piston 6 is inserted through the connecting cylinder 5a and positioned inside the cylinder 1. The piston 6 in this embodiment has an annular base 6a. The outer edge of the base 6a is provided with an outer sliding piece 6b that extends upward and downward from the base 6a. The outer sliding piece 6b is in liquid-tight contact with the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder wall 1b in a slidable manner. The inner edge of the base 6a is provided with an inner sliding piece 6c that extends upward and downward from the base 6a. The lower part of the inner sliding piece 6c is in liquid-tight contact with the annular portion 5d, and the upper part of the inner sliding piece 6c is in liquid-tight contact with the inner circumferential surface of the enlarged diameter portion 7b of the cylindrical member 7, which will be described later.

[0024] The cylindrical member 7 is a member that is tubular overall. The cylindrical member 7 has a cylindrical stem 7a and an enlarged 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 cylinder 5a is inserted into the stem 7a, the two are fitted together, so the internal member 5 and the cylindrical member 7 move integrally with respect to the cylinder 1.

[0025] The holder 8 has a portion located radially outward from the stem 7a and a portion located radially outward from the enlarged diameter portion 7b, and includes a holder base 8a that is fitted and held on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 1b. The upper end of the holder base 8a is provided with a flange 8b that extends radially outward. The holder 8 prevents the internal member 5, piston 6, and cylindrical member 7 from coming out of the cylinder 1.

[0026] The packing 9 is an annular plate shape and is inserted through the cylindrical wall portion 1b of the cylinder 1 and fitted and held in place therewith. When the pump-type discharger 100A is attached to a container (not shown), the packing 9 is sandwiched between the mouth of the container and the flange wall 1c. This prevents problems such as the contents spilling out of the mouth when the container is tipped over.

[0027] The cap 10 is disc-shaped and has a top wall 10a with a through hole in the center. The outer edge of the top wall 10a is provided with a cylindrical lower peripheral wall 10b that extends downward. The upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the lower peripheral wall 10b bulges radially inward, allowing the flange wall 1c to be fitted and held, thereby holding the cylinder 1 in the cap 10. The inner peripheral surface of the cap 10 is also provided with a female threaded portion 10c that screws onto a male threaded portion provided at the mouth of the container, and the cap 10 can be attached to the container by screwing the male threaded portion and the female threaded portion 10c together.

[0028] The cap 10 also has an extension portion 10d on the upper surface of the top wall 10a. The extension portion 10d extends upward from the upper surface of the top wall 10a. As shown in Figure 5, the extension portion 10d is inclined to move closer to the central axis O as it moves upward from the top wall 10a (in other words, the extension portion 10d is inclined to move away from the central axis O as it moves away from the head body 12 (downward)). To explain in more detail, the extension portion 10d in this embodiment is a dome-shaped shell wall that is continuously connected in a direction that circumfers the central axis O. A through hole is provided in the center of the extension portion 10d through which the stem 7a passes.

[0029] On the upper side (head body 12 side) of the extension portion 10d, a pressing portion 10e and a recessed portion 10f are provided. In this embodiment, the pressing portion 10e is the upper part of the dome-shaped extension portion 10d itself, as shown in Figure 5, and the recessed portion 10f is the upper part of the dome-shaped extension portion 10d that is recessed toward the central axis O, as shown in Figure 1. The pressing portions 10e and recessed portions 10f are provided alternately in the circumferential direction, as shown in Figure 2, and in this embodiment, there are six pressing portions 10e and six recessed portions 10f.

[0030] On the inside of the extension portion 10d, a back-side rib 10g is provided, extending along the central axis O as shown in Figure 5. In this embodiment, the back-side ribs 10g are provided where the pressing portion 10e is located in the circumferential direction (a total of six are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction). By providing the back-side ribs 10g, the rigidity of the extension portion 10d at the location of the pressing portion 10e in the circumferential direction can be increased, thereby suppressing downward and radially inward deflection of the extension portion 10d.

[0031] The cap 10 also has a cylindrical upper peripheral wall 10h that extends upward from the outer edge of the top wall 10a. As shown in Figure 3, the inner surface of the upper peripheral wall 10h has two recesses, which are recesses that are indented radially outward from the inner surface of the upper peripheral wall 10h. Here, the recess with a smaller circumferential length is called the first recess 10j, and the recess with a circumferential length greater than the first recess 10j is called the second recess 10k. The first recess 10j and the second recess 10k are located near the upper end of the upper peripheral wall 10h and function as stoppers to prevent the downward movement of the first projection 12f and the second projection 12g, which will be described later. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the inner surface of the upper peripheral wall 10h has two vertical grooves that extend from the upper end to the lower end of the upper peripheral wall 10h, offset in the circumferential direction from the first recess 10j and the second recess 10k. Here, the longitudinal groove portion having approximately the same circumferential length as the first recess 10j is referred to as the first longitudinal groove portion 10m, and the longitudinal groove portion having approximately the same circumferential length as the second recess 10k is referred to as the second longitudinal groove portion 10n. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the inner circumferential surface of the upper circumferential wall 10h is provided with a first connecting portion 10p connecting the first recess 10j and the first longitudinal groove portion 10m, and a second connecting portion 10q connecting the second recess 10k and the second longitudinal groove portion 10n. The first connecting portion 10p and the second connecting portion 10q are provided near the upper end of the upper circumferential wall 10h, similar to the first recess 10j and the second recess 10k, and their vertical lengths are the same as those of the first recess 10j, etc., but the inner circumferential surfaces of the first connecting portion 10p and the second connecting portion 10q are located radially inward from the inner circumferential surfaces of the first recess 10j, etc.

[0032] The head body 12 is cylindrical and has a cylindrical portion 12a into which a stem 7a is inserted and fitted and held. The top of the cylindrical portion 12a is provided with a top portion 12b having a passage inside that leads to the cylindrical portion 12a. The top portion 12b is provided with a nozzle 12c that is cylindrical and extends radially outward, and leads to a passage provided inside the top portion 12b. The tip of the nozzle 12c is provided with a discharge port 12d from which the liquid contents are discharged by a pump-type discharger 100A. Furthermore, the head body 12 has a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 12e that is smaller in diameter than the upper peripheral wall 10h and extends downward.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the head body 12 is provided with two projections that protrude radially outward from the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 12e. Here, the projection with a smaller circumferential length is referred to as the first projection 12f, and the projection with a circumferential length greater than the first projection 12f is referred to as the second projection 12g. The head body 12 is configured to rotate circumferentially relative to the cap 10, with the first projection 12f moving circumferentially between the first recess 10j, the first connecting portion 10p, and the first longitudinal groove 10m, and the second projection 12g moving circumferentially between the second recess 10k, the second connecting portion 10q, and the second longitudinal groove 10n. Furthermore, the inner diameters of the inner surfaces of the first connection portion 10p and the second connection portion 10q are smaller than the outer diameters of the outer surfaces of the first projection 12f and the second projection 12g, so that when the head body 12 is rotated in the circumferential direction, a slight resistance is generated as the first projection 12f and the second projection 12g pass through the first connection portion 10p and the second connection portion 10q.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the head inner member 13 has a plate-shaped base portion 13a. The center of the base portion 13a is provided with a circular through hole 13a1 and a cylindrical wall 13b that surrounds the through hole 13a1 and extends downward. As shown in Figure 1, when the base portion 13a is inserted into the outer peripheral wall 12e while the cylindrical portion 12a is inserted into the through hole 13a1 and the cylindrical wall 13b, the cylindrical wall 13b fits into the cylindrical portion 12a and is held in place by the head body 12. Alternatively, to hold the head inner member 13 in place by the head body 12, the outer edge of the base portion 13a may be fitted into the base of the outer peripheral wall 12e.

[0035] The inner head member 13 is also equipped with elastic pieces 13c. As shown in the figure, the elastic pieces 13c are generally plate-shaped. The root portion of the elastic piece 13c (hereinafter referred to as the elastic piece root portion 13c1) is connected to the base portion 13a. As shown in Figure 3, the elastic pieces 13c are elastically deformable radially outward. In this embodiment, a total of six elastic pieces 13c are provided on the base portion 13a at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0036] The elastic piece 13c has a main body portion (hereinafter referred to as the elastic piece main body portion 13c2) that extends downward from the elastic piece root portion 13c1 in a direction approaching the central axis O. The tip portion of the elastic piece 13c (hereinafter referred to as the elastic piece tip portion 13c3) provided on the tip side of the elastic piece main body portion 13c2 extends in a direction away from the central axis O as it extends downward.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, the elastic piece 13c is provided with reinforcing ribs 13d on its outer circumferential surface that are narrower (shorter in circumferential length) than the elastic piece 13c. In this embodiment, a pair of reinforcing ribs 13d are provided circumferentially spaced apart from the elastic piece 13c. In the region from the elastic piece root portion 13c1 to the vertical center of the elastic piece body portion 13c2, the reinforcing ribs 13d extend with approximately the same thickness as the elastic piece body portion 13c2, and below that, they extend with a thickness slightly less than the elastic piece body portion 13c2.

[0038] In a pump-type discharger 100A composed of such components, when attaching the head body 12 to which the head inner member 13 is attached to the stem 7a, the elastic piece body portion 13c2 of the elastic piece 13c extends downward from the elastic piece root portion 13c1 in a direction approaching the central axis O. Therefore, there is a risk that the extension portion 10d may cause the elastic piece 13c to bend in an abnormal direction (towards the central axis O). In this embodiment, the elastic piece 13c has an elastic piece tip portion 13c3 that extends in a direction away from the central axis O as the inner circumferential surface goes downward. When the head body 12 is attached to the stem 7a, the extension portion 10d comes into contact with the elastic piece tip portion 13c3, and the elastic piece 13c is naturally displaced to the state shown in Figure 5, thus preventing the above-mentioned problem.

[0039] When the pump-type discharger 100A is not in use, such as during storage, it is preferable to rotate the head body 12 circumferentially relative to the cap 10 to the state shown in Figures 1 to 3 (where the first projection 12f and the second projection 12g are housed in the first recess 10j and the second recess 10k). As described above, the first recess 10j and the second recess 10k are located near the upper end of the upper peripheral wall 10h and function as stoppers to prevent the downward movement of the first projection 12f and the second projection 12g. Therefore, by rotating the head body 12 circumferentially relative to the cap 10 to the position shown in Figures 1 to 3, it is possible to prevent the head body 12 from being unintentionally pushed down. Hereinafter, the position shown in Figures 1 to 3 when the head body 12 is rotated circumferentially relative to the cap 10 will be referred to as the non-pressable position. When the head body 12 is rotated to the non-pressable position, the elastic piece 13c of this embodiment is located inside the recess 10f, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0040] Then, when dispensing the liquid contents from the pump-type dispenser 100A attached to a container (not shown), the head body 12 is rotated clockwise relative to the cap 10 from the state shown in Figure 3. As a result, the first projection 12f and the second projection 12g, which were housed in the first recess 10j and the second recess 10k, move to the first vertical groove 10m and the second vertical groove 10n. As described above, the first vertical groove 10m and the second vertical groove 10n extend from the upper end to the lower end of the upper peripheral wall 10h. Therefore, the movement of the first projection 12f and the second projection 12g to the first vertical groove 10m and the second vertical groove 10n makes it possible to push down the head body 12. Hereinafter, the position in which the head body 12 rotates circumferentially relative to the cap 10 and the first projection 12f and the second projection 12g housed in the first vertical groove 10m and the second vertical groove 10n will be referred to as the pressable position.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, a first connecting portion 10p is provided between the first recess 10j and the first longitudinal groove 10m, and a second connecting portion 10q is provided between the second recess 10k and the second longitudinal groove 10n. The inner surfaces of the first connecting portion 10p and the second connecting portion 10q are located radially inward from the inner surfaces of the first recess 10j, etc. In other words, when rotating the head body 12 from a non-pressable position to a pressable position, some resistance is generated when the first projection 12f and the second projection 12g pass through the first connecting portion 10p and the second connecting portion 10q, thereby preventing the head body 12 from being unintentionally rotated from a non-pressable position to a pressable position.

[0042] When the head body 12 is rotated to a pressable position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the elastic piece 13c, which was located inside the recessed portion 10f in the non-pressable position, moves to where the pressing portion 10e is provided, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, and becomes slightly bent away from the central axis O due to the contact with the pressing portion 10e. Here, in Figure 5, the elastic piece 13c shown by the dashed line represents the state in which the elastic piece 13c is not bent, and in Figure 5, the elastic piece 13c shown by the solid line represents the state in which it is bent by the pressing portion 10e. Hereafter, the amount of bending of the elastic piece 13c from the state shown by the dashed line to the state shown by the solid line in Figure 5 will be called the standby bending amount. As the elastic piece 13c bends due to the pressing portion 10e in this way, an elastic force from the elastic piece 13c acts on the head body 12, so that the head body 12 can be positioned at its upper limit (retraction limit). In Figure 5, the symbol P indicates the position where the pressing portion 10e of the extension portion 10d contacts the elastic piece 13c when the head body 12 is at its upper limit (hereinafter referred to as the contact point P).

[0043] Incidentally, the elastic piece 13c shown by the phantom line in FIG. 1 is in a state of not being bent, similar to the elastic piece 13c of the phantom line in FIG. 5, and the elastic piece 13c shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 is located inside the recess 10f and shows a state of being slightly bent. That is, when the head body 12 is rotated to the non-pressable position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the amount of bending of the elastic piece 13c becomes less than the above-described bending amount during standby. That is, since the load applied to the elastic piece 13c in this state can be reduced, sagging of the elastic piece 13c can be suppressed.

[0044] Then, when the head body 12 is pressed from the state shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 to lower the head body 12 (advance the head body 12 toward the cap 10), as shown in FIG. 7, the stem 7a is pushed down together with the head body 12 (the stem 7a moves toward the cap 10 along the central axis O). Further, as the stem 7a is pushed down, the connecting cylinder 5a also descends, so that the liquid-tight contact between the lower part protruding radially outward in the connecting cylinder 5a and the lower part of the inner sliding piece 6c of the piston 6 is released. Then, when the head body 12 is further pushed down, the piston 6 also descends together with the cylindrical member 7 and the internal member 5, and the inside of the cylinder 1 is pressurized. For this reason, the content liquid in the cylinder 1 passes through the communication port 5c, passes through the inside of the connecting cylinder 5a, the stem 7a, the passage provided inside the cylindrical part 12a, the top part 12b, and the inside of the nozzle 12c, and is discharged to the outside from the discharge port 12d. Incidentally, when the head body 12 is pressed and the piston 6 descends below the vent hole 1f, the container (not shown) communicates with the outside through the vent hole 1f. Thereby, even if the content liquid stored in the container decreases, the inside of the container is not depressurized, and a problem that the container is deformed so as to be crushed is prevented.

[0045] Furthermore, when the head body 12 is pushed down, the extension portion 10d that contacts the elastic piece 13c applies a pressing force to the elastic piece 13c, causing the elastic piece 13c to bend radially outward as shown in Figure 7. Here, as described above, the elastic piece body portion 13c2 extends downward from the elastic piece root portion 13c1 in a direction approaching the central axis O, so the length of the elastic piece 13c can be made longer compared to one that extends straight along the central axis O. And since the extension portion 10d extends at an angle away from the central axis O as it moves away from the head body 12, the contact point P where the extension portion 10d contacts the elastic piece 13c moves from near the tip of the extension portion 10d to near the root of the extension portion 10d as the head body 12 moves forward. Here, for example, if the part that bends the elastic piece 13c is edge-shaped, and the position of the contact point P with respect to the elastic piece 13c does not change even when the head body 12 is advanced, then as the head body 12 advances, the distance from the base of the elastic piece 13c to the contact point P will decrease. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as the head body 12 advances, the elastic piece 13c approaches the extension 10d, but as described above, the contact point P moves from the tip side to the base side of the extension 10d, so the distance from the base of the elastic piece 13c1 to the contact point P becomes longer than in the case where the contact point P does not change. In other words, due to these effects, the rate of increase in the force required to bend the elastic piece 13c becomes gradual, so the resistance force that fingers or the like receive from the head body 12 when pressing the head body 12 increases gradually, and the feeling when pressing the head body 12 becomes lighter, improving operability. Furthermore, since the rate of increase in the force required to bend the elastic piece 13c becomes gradual, the load applied to the elastic piece 13c can be reduced, thereby suppressing deformation of the elastic piece 13c.

[0046] Thereafter, when the pressing force on the head body 12 is released, the elastic force of the elastically deformed elastic piece 13c acts on the head body 12, and the head body 12 begins to rise. Along with this, as the annular portion 5d and the lower portion of the inner sliding piece 6c come into liquid-tight contact again, the piston 6 rises together with the inner member 5, so the inside of the cylinder 1 is decompressed. As a result, the valve body portion 2b separates from the bottom wall portion 1a and the suction port 1d is opened, allowing the content liquid in the container to be sucked into the cylinder 1 through the pipe 4. Thereafter, if the head body 12 is pressed, the content liquid is discharged from the discharge port 12d again.

[0047] When the head body 12 is pushed down, as described above, the extending portion 10d deflects the elastic piece 13c radially outward. However, if the rigidity of the extending portion 10d is low, the extending portion 10d may deflect inward, resulting in insufficient deflection of the elastic piece 13c radially outward. Therefore, there is a possibility that the head body 12 cannot return to the upper limit. On the other hand, the extending portion 10d of the present embodiment includes a back surface side rib 10g, and the rigidity of the extending portion 10d is increased by the back surface side rib 10g. Therefore, insufficient deflection of the elastic piece 13c is suppressed, and the head body 12 can be more reliably returned to the upper limit.

[0048] Next, a pump-type discharger 100B, which is a second embodiment of the pump-type discharger according to the present invention, will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to FIG . In the following description, the description will focus on functions different from those of the pump-type discharger 100A shown in FIG. 1 and the like. For parts having the same functions, the same reference numerals are given in the drawings and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0049] The pump-type discharger 100B has an extension portion 10r instead of the extension portion 10d that the pump-type discharger 100A described above has. The extension portion 10r extends upward from the upper surface of the top wall 10a as a whole, and in this embodiment, it has a plurality of vertical walls 10s (four in this embodiment) arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction, and gaps (recessed portions 10t) located between adjacent vertical walls 10s. As shown in Figure 10, in a side view, the vertical walls 10s are inclined to approach the central axis O as they move upward from the top wall 10a (in other words, the vertical walls 10s are inclined to move away from the central axis O as they move away from the head body 12 (downward), and as shown in Figure 9, in a plan view, they protrude in a curved manner away from the central axis O. Here, the outer circumferential surface of the vertical wall 10s is referred to as the pressing portion 10v. On the inside of the vertical wall 10s, a back-side rib 10u is provided that extends along the central axis O, as shown in Figure 10.

[0050] In the pump-type discharger 100A described above, a total of six elastic pieces 13c were provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. However, as shown in Figure 9, the pump-type discharger 100B is equipped with a total of four elastic pieces 13c at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In the pump-type discharger 100B, the elastic pieces 13c are located where the recessed portion 10t is provided when the head body 12 is rotated to a non-pressable position, as shown in Figures 8 and 9. In this embodiment, when the head body 12 is rotated 90°, the head body 12 moves to the pressable position shown in Figure 10.

[0051] In the pump-type discharger 100B of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, when the head body 12 is rotated to a non-pressing position, the elastic piece 13c located where the recessed portion 10t is provided is in a non-contact state (or in a state where it is in contact but hardly bent) with respect to the vertical wall 10s. On the other hand, when the head body 12 is rotated 90° from the non-pressing position to the pressable position, the elastic piece 13c moves from the state shown by the dashed line in Figure 10 (non-bent state) to a state where it contacts the pressing portion 10v, which is the outer circumferential surface of the vertical wall 10s, and bends slightly away from the central axis O (bends by the amount of standby deflection). In other words, when the head body 12 is rotated to a non-pressing position, the amount of deflection of the elastic piece 13c is less than the amount of standby deflection described above, which reduces the load on the elastic piece 13c, and thus the deformation of the elastic piece 13c can be suppressed. When the head body 12 is rotated to a position where it can be pressed, the elastic piece 13c bends due to the pressing part 10v, and an elastic force from the elastic piece 13c acts on the head body 12, allowing the head body 12 to be positioned at its upper limit (retraction limit).

[0052] Subsequently, by pressing the head body 12 to lower it, the liquid contents can be discharged from the discharge port 12d in the same way as when using the pump-type dispenser 100A described above.

[0053] The number of vertical walls 10s and elastic pieces 13c in the pump-type discharger 100B can be changed as appropriate, and for example, it may be configured as shown in Figure 11. In Figure 11, there are a total of three vertical walls 10s provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and a total of three recesses 10t are provided between them. There are also a total of three elastic pieces 13c provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, when the head body 12 is rotated to a position where it cannot be pressed, the elastic pieces 13c are located where the recesses 10t are provided, as shown in Figure 11. In other words, even in the modified pump-type discharger 100B shown in Figure 11, the deformation of the elastic pieces 13c can be suppressed by rotating the head body 12 to a position where it cannot be pressed. Furthermore, in this modified pump-type discharger 100B, when the head body 12 is rotated 120° from the non-pressing position, the head body 12 moves to the pressable position, and the elastic piece 13c comes into contact with the pressing portion 10v, which is the outer surface of the vertical wall 10s, and bends slightly away from the central axis O, so that the head body 12 can be positioned at its upper limit (retraction limit).

[0054] Next, with reference to Figures 12 to 17, a third embodiment of the pump-type discharger according to the present invention, the pump-type discharger 100C, will be described. The pump-type discharger 100C consists of a cylinder 51, a valve member 52, a pipe 54, an internal member 55, a piston 56, a cylindrical member 57, a holder 58, a packing 59, a cap body 60, a cap cover 61, and a head 62. Here, the cylinder 51, valve member 52, internal member 55, piston 56, cylindrical member 57, and holder 58 are components that constitute a "pump" as defined in this specification, and the cap body 60 and cap cover 61 are components that constitute a "cap" as defined in this specification. Furthermore, among the above-mentioned components, the valve member 52, piston 56, and packing 59 are made of elastic, soft synthetic resin (for example, polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE, foamed PE)), while the other components are made of hard synthetic resin (for example, polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyacetal (POM), polyketone (POK) resin, etc.). Each component constituting the pump-type discharger 100C is basically shaped around a central axis O.

[0055] The cylinder 51 has a disc-shaped bottom wall portion 51a with a central part protruding upward, a cylindrical cylindrical wall portion 51b rising from the outer edge of the bottom wall portion 51a, and a flange wall 51c extending radially outward from the upper part of the cylindrical wall portion 51b. A through hole (suction port 51d) is provided in the central part of the protruding portion of the bottom wall portion 51a. A cylindrical retaining cylinder 51e is provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 51a, surrounding the suction port 51d and extending downward to hold the pipe 54. A through hole (vent 51f) is provided in the cylindrical wall portion 51b.

[0056] The valve member 52 comprises a base portion 52a, a valve body portion 52b that covers the suction port 51d inside the base portion 52a and sits on the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 51a, and an elastically deformable connecting piece 52c that connects the base portion 52a and the valve body portion 52b. The valve member 52 functions as a check valve, and when the inside of the cylinder 51 becomes depressurized, the valve body portion 52b that was closing the suction port 51d separates from the bottom wall portion 51a, allowing the suction port 51d to open.

[0057] In this embodiment, the base portion 52a is shaped like a capped cylinder and has an opening (not shown) through which the liquid contents that have passed through the suction port 51d pass. The base portion 52a is fitted and held to the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder wall portion 51b, thereby holding the valve member 52 inside the cylinder 51.

[0058] The pipe 54 is hollow, and its upper end is inserted into and fitted into the retaining cylinder 51e.

[0059] The internal member 55 is positioned inside the cylinder 51 and moves up and down relative to the cylinder 51. The internal member 55 comprises a cylindrical connecting cylinder 55a and a bottom portion 55b that closes the lower end of the connecting cylinder 55a and extends radially outward. The connecting cylinder 55a is provided with a hole (communication opening 55c) that passes through it, and the upper surface of the bottom portion 55b is provided with an annular portion 55d that is located radially outward from the connection portion with the connecting cylinder 55a.

[0060] The piston 56 is inserted through the connecting cylinder 55a and positioned inside the cylinder 51. The piston 56 in this embodiment has an annular base 56a. The outer edge of the base 56a is provided with an outer sliding piece 56b that extends upward and downward from the base 56a. The outer sliding piece 56b is in liquid-tight contact with the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder wall 51b in a slidable manner. The inner edge of the base 56a is provided with an inner sliding piece 56c that extends upward and downward from the base 56a. The lower part of the inner sliding piece 56c is in liquid-tight contact with the annular portion 55d, and the upper part of the inner sliding piece 56c is in liquid-tight contact with the inner circumferential surface of the enlarged diameter portion 57b of the cylindrical member 57, which will be described later.

[0061] The cylindrical member 57 is a member that is cylindrical overall. The cylindrical member 57 has a cylindrical stem 57a and an enlarged diameter portion 57b that is connected to the lower end of the stem 57a and has a larger diameter than the stem 57a. When the connecting cylinder 55a is inserted into the stem 57a, the two are fitted together, so the internal member 55 and the cylindrical member 57 move integrally with respect to the cylinder 51.

[0062] The holder 58 has a portion located radially outward from the stem 57a and a portion located radially outward from the enlarged diameter portion 57b, and includes a holder base 58a that is fitted and held on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical wall portion 51b. The upper end of the holder base 58a is provided with a flange 58b that extends radially outward. The holder 58 prevents the internal member 55, piston 56, and cylindrical member 57 from coming out of the cylinder 51.

[0063] The packing 59 is an annular plate shape and is inserted through the cylindrical wall portion 51b of the cylinder 51 and fitted and held in place therewith. When the pump-type dispenser 100C is attached to a container (not shown), the packing 59 is sandwiched between the mouth of the container and the flange wall 51c. This prevents problems such as the contents spilling out of the mouth when the container is tipped over.

[0064] The cap body 60 is disc-shaped and has a top wall 60a with a through hole in the center. The top wall 60a corresponds to the "base portion" in this specification. The outer edge of the top wall 60a is provided with a cylindrical peripheral wall 60b that extends downward. The upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 60b bulges radially inward, allowing the flange wall 51c to be fitted and held, thereby holding the cylinder 51 in the cap body 60. The inner peripheral surface of the cap body 60 is also provided with a female threaded portion 60c that screws into a male threaded portion provided at the mouth of the container, and the cap body 60 can be attached to the container by screwing the male threaded portion and the female threaded portion 60c together. The outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 60b is provided with an anti-rotation rib 60d that protrudes radially outward, as shown in Figure 13B.

[0065] Furthermore, the cap body 60 is equipped with an elastic piece 60e that is plate-shaped overall, as shown in the figures (see Figures 12, 13A, and 14). The base of the elastic piece 60e (hereinafter referred to as the elastic piece base 60e1) is connected to the top wall 60a, and the elastic piece 60e is elastically deformable radially inward. In this embodiment, a total of six elastic pieces 60e are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction relative to the top wall 60a. As will be described later, the elastic piece 60e is elastically deformed toward the central axis O by the head 62 which is pressed when the contents are discharged, and when the pressing force on the head 62 is released, it restores the head 62 to its original position with a restoring force.

[0066] The elastic piece 60e extends upward from the elastic piece root portion 60e1 in a direction away from the central axis O. More specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, when the head 62 is moved to its upper limit, the elastic piece 60e extends upward from the elastic piece root portion 60e1, then extends upward while tilting away from the central axis O, and contacts the inclined rib 62f, which will be described later. The tip portion of the elastic piece 60e (the portion of the elastic piece 60e located above the inclined rib 62f in the state shown in Figure 14, hereinafter referred to as the elastic piece tip portion 60e2) extends in a direction that approaches the central axis O as it goes upward.

[0067] The elastic piece 60e is provided with reinforcing ribs 60f on its inner circumferential surface, which are narrower (shorter in circumferential length) than the elastic piece 60e, as shown in Figure 13A. In this embodiment, a pair of reinforcing ribs 60f are provided circumferentially spaced apart from the elastic piece 60e. As shown in Figure 14, the thickness of the reinforcing ribs 60f is approximately the same as the thickness of the elastic piece 60e at the bottom, and the thickness decreases towards the top in the middle section, becoming only slightly thicker than the elastic piece 60e at the top. The elastic force exhibited by the elastic piece 60e can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the reinforcing ribs 60f and the position where they are provided. Note that the number of elastic pieces 60e and the position where they are provided are not limited to the embodiment described above and can be changed as appropriate. Similarly, the number of reinforcing ribs 60f and the position where they are provided are not limited to the embodiment described above and can be changed as appropriate.

[0068] The cap cover 61 has a cylindrical cap outer peripheral wall 61a. The cap outer peripheral wall 61a surrounds the peripheral wall 60b at the bottom and surrounds most of the elastic piece 60e at the top. As shown in Figure 13B, the inner peripheral surface of the cap outer peripheral wall 61a is provided with an anti-rotation recess 61b that is recessed radially outward. When the cap body 60 is inserted inside the cap cover 61, the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 60b fits into the inner peripheral surface of the cap outer peripheral wall 61a, and the anti-rotation rib 60d engages with the anti-rotation recess 61b, so that the cap cover 61 is held non-rotatably relative to the cap body 60.

[0069] As shown in Figure 13A, the outer circumferential wall 61a of the cap has four grooves (a small groove 61c in the standby position, a large groove 61d in the standby position, a small groove 61e in the operating position, and a large groove 61f in the operating position) that extend vertically, recessing the inner circumferential surface of the outer circumferential wall 61a radially outward. Here, the large groove 61d in the standby position has a wider circumferential width than the small groove 61c in the standby position, and the large groove 61f in the operating position has a wider circumferential width than the small groove 61e in the operating position. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, the small groove 61e and the large groove 61f in the operating position extend vertically for a long distance, but the small groove 61c and the large groove 61d in the standby position are shorter in the vertical direction than the small groove 61e and the large groove 61f in the operating position. In this embodiment, the small groove 61e and the large groove 61f in the operating position correspond to the "vertical grooves" as described herein. As shown in Figure 13A, the standby position small groove 61c and the standby position large groove 61d are located opposite each other across the central axis O, and the operating position small groove 61e and the operating position large groove 61f are located opposite each other across the central axis O.

[0070] In this embodiment, the inner surface of the outer circumferential wall 61a of the cap is located radially outward between the small groove portion 61c and the small groove portion 61e in the standby position and between the small groove portion 61e in the operating position and between the large groove portion 61f in the standby position and between the large groove portion 61f in the operating position and between the small groove portion 61e in the operating position and between the large groove portion 61d in the operating position. Here, the inner surface of the outer circumferential wall 61a of the cap between the small groove portion 61c and the small groove portion 61e in the standby position and the inner surface between the large groove portion 61d in the standby position and between the large groove portion 61f in the operating position are referred to as the contact surface 61g. The contact surfaces 61g face each other across the central axis O, and the inner diameter of the contact surfaces 61g is smaller than the inner diameter between the small groove portion 61c and the large groove portion 61d in the standby position and also smaller than the inner diameter between the small groove portion 61e and the large groove portion 61f in the operating position.

[0071] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13A, the outer peripheral wall 61a of the cap is provided with a stepped portion (hereinafter referred to as a stopper 61h) that is lower in height than the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 61a between the standby position small groove portion 61c and the operating position small groove portion 61e. The stopper 61h is provided in the portion from the contact surface 61g located between the standby position small groove portion 61c and the operating position large groove portion 61f to the standby position small groove portion 61c. The stopper 61h is also provided in the portion from the contact surface 61g located between the standby position large groove portion 61d and the operating position large groove portion 61f to the standby position small groove portion 61c.

[0072] The head 62 comprises a horizontally extending head top wall 62a and a cylindrical head outer peripheral wall 62b connected to the outer edge of the head top wall 62a. As shown in Figure 12, the head outer peripheral wall 62b has a smaller diameter than the cap outer peripheral wall 61a. The lower surface of the head top wall 62a is provided with a cylindrical tubular portion 62c into which a stem 57a is inserted and fitted and held. At the connection between the head top wall 62a and the head outer peripheral wall 62b, there is a cylindrical nozzle 62d that extends radially outward and leads to a passage provided inside the tubular portion 62c. The tip of the nozzle 62d is provided with a discharge port 62e from which the liquid contents are discharged by a pump-type dispenser 100C.

[0073] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, the head 62 is provided with inclined ribs 62f that protrude radially inward from the inner surface of the outer peripheral wall 62b of the head. In this embodiment, the lower part of the inclined rib 62f is inclined upward toward the central axis O. As shown in Figure 13A, a total of six inclined ribs 62f are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, similar to the elastic piece 60e.

[0074] Furthermore, the head 62 is provided with two projections (a small projection 62g and a large projection 62h) that protrude radially outward from the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 62b of the head. Here, the large projection 62h has a greater circumferential width than the small projection 62g. The small projection 62g is sized to fit within the small groove 61c in the standby position and the small groove 61e in the operating position, while the large projection 62h is sized to fit within the large groove 61d in the standby position and the large groove 61f in the operating position. As shown in Figure 13A, the small projection 62g and the large projection 62h are positioned opposite each other across the central axis O. The outer diameter from the outer edge of the small projection 62g to the outer edge of the large projection 62h is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the two contact surfaces 61g described above, so that when the head 62 rotates around the central axis O, the outer edges of the small projection 62g and the large projection 62h come into contact with the contact surface 61g. The small protrusion 62g and the large protrusion 62h correspond to the "protrusions" as described herein.

[0075] When assembled as a pump-type discharger 100C, the head 62 is circumferentially rotatable relative to the cap body 60 and the cap cover 61. Here, as shown in Figure 13A, the position in which the small projection 62g fits into the operating position small groove 61e and the large projection 62h fits into the operating position large groove 61f is called the "operating position," and as shown in Figure 17, the position in which the small projection 62g fits into the standby position small groove 61c and the large projection 62h fits into the standby position large groove 61d is called the "standby position." When the head 62 is rotated to the standby position, the small projection 62g and the large projection 62h are located above the stopper 61h.

[0076] In a pump-type discharger 100C composed of such components, when attaching the cylindrical portion 62c of the head 62 to the stem 57a, the elastic piece 60e extends upward from the elastic piece root portion 60e1 in a direction away from the central axis O. Therefore, there is a risk that the head outer peripheral wall 62b may cause the elastic piece 60e to bend in an abnormal direction (away from the central axis O). In this embodiment, the elastic piece 60e has an elastic piece tip portion 60e2 that extends in a direction that approaches the central axis O as the outer peripheral surface goes upward. When the head 62 is attached to the stem 57a, the head outer peripheral wall 62b or the inclined rib 62f comes into contact with the elastic piece tip portion 60e2, causing the elastic piece 60e to naturally displace to the state shown in Figure 14, thus preventing the above-mentioned problem.

[0077] Furthermore, in the pump-type discharger 100C of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13A, when the head 62 is in the operating position, the small projection 62g is housed in the standby position small groove 61c and the large projection 62h is housed in the standby position large groove 61d. Since the standby position small groove 61c and the standby position large groove 61d extend long in the vertical direction, the head 62 is in a state where it can be pushed down. Also in this state, as shown in Figure 14, the lower part of the inclined rib 62f is in contact with the elastic piece 60e, causing the elastic piece 60e to bend slightly radially inward, and the head 62 is in a state where it has moved to its upper limit (retraction limit). In Figure 14, the symbol P indicates the position where the inclined rib 62f contacts the elastic piece 60e (hereinafter referred to as the contact point P). When the head 62 is in the state where it has moved to its upper limit, the lower end of the head outer peripheral wall 62b is located below the upper end of the cap outer peripheral wall 61a. In other words, the elastic piece 60e is covered by the outer wall 62b of the head and the outer wall 61a of the cap and cannot be directly seen from the outside, thus improving the appearance of the pump-type discharger 100C.

[0078] When the head 62 is pressed down from above to lower it (to advance the head 62 toward the cap body 60), the stem 57a is pushed down together with the head 62. As the stem 57a is pushed down, the bottom 55b also descends via the connecting cylinder 55a, releasing the liquid-tight contact between the annular portion 55d and the lower part of the inner sliding piece 56c. When the head 62 is pushed down further, the piston 56 descends along with the cylindrical member 57 and the internal member 55, pressurizing the inside of the cylinder 51. As a result, the liquid inside the cylinder 51 passes through the communication port 55c, through the passage provided inside the connecting cylinder 55a, the stem 57a, and the cylindrical portion 62c, and through the inside of the nozzle 62d, and is discharged to the outside from the discharge port 62e. When the head 62 is pressed and the piston 56 descends below the vent port 51f, the container (not shown) communicates with the outside through the vent port 51f. This prevents negative pressure from forming inside the container even when the amount of liquid inside decreases, thus preventing the container from deforming and collapsing.

[0079] Furthermore, when the head 62 is pushed down, the inclined rib 62f that contacts the elastic piece 60e applies a pressing force to the elastic piece 60e, causing the elastic piece 60e to bend radially inward, as shown in Figures 15 and 16. Here, as described above, the elastic piece 60e extends upward away from the central axis O, so the length of the elastic piece 60e can be made longer compared to one that extends straight along the central axis O. However, if the part that bends the elastic piece 60e is edge-shaped (for example, a shape bent at a right angle), the position of the contact point where this part contacts the elastic piece 60e does not change even when the head 62 is moved. Therefore, when the head 62 is moved downward, the distance from the base of the elastic piece 60e1 to the contact point decreases. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the lower part of the inclined rib 62f that contacts the elastic piece 60e extends inclined upward toward the central axis O. Therefore, the contact point P where the inclined rib 62f contacts the elastic piece 60e moves from the lower side to the upper side of the inclined rib 62f as the head 62 is moved downward. That is, as the head 62 is moved downward, the elastic piece 60e approaches the inclined rib 62f, but since the contact point P moves from the lower side to the upper side of the inclined rib 62f, the distance from the base portion 60e1 of the elastic piece to the contact point P becomes longer than in the case where the contact point P does not change. In other words, due to these actions, the rate of increase in the force required to bend the elastic piece 60e becomes gradual, so the resistance force that fingers or the like receive from the head 62 when pressing the head 62 increases gradually, making the feel when pressing the head 62 lighter and improving operability. Furthermore, since the rate of increase in the force required to bend the elastic piece 60e becomes gradual, the load applied to the elastic piece 60e can be reduced, thereby suppressing deformation of the elastic piece 60e.

[0080] Subsequently, when the pressure on the head 62 is released, the elastic force of the elastically deformed elastic piece 60e acts on the head 62, causing the head 62 to begin rising. As a result, the annular portion 55d and the lower part of the inner sliding piece 56c come into liquid-tight contact again, and the piston 56 rises together with the internal member 55, causing the inside of the cylinder 51 to be depressurized. This causes the valve body 52b to separate from the bottom wall 51a, opening the suction port 51d, and allowing the liquid contents of the container to be drawn into the cylinder 51 through the pipe 54. Subsequently, when the head 62 is pressed, the liquid contents are discharged again from the discharge port 62e.

[0081] After the liquid contents have been dispensed, the head 62 is rotated relative to the cap cover 61 to the standby position shown in Figure 17. In this state, the small projection 62g is positioned in the small groove 61c of the standby position, and the large projection 62h is positioned in the large groove 61d of the standby position. In this state, the small projection 62g and the large projection 62h are positioned above the stopper 61h. That is, even if someone tries to push the head 62 down, the small projection 62g and the large projection 62h come into contact with the stopper 61h, preventing the head 62 from moving downward. Therefore, when the head 62 is in the standby position, the head 62 cannot be accidentally pushed down, and the liquid contents cannot be dispensed unintentionally.

[0082] Furthermore, when the head 62 rotates to the standby position, as shown in Figure 17, the inclined rib 62f is positioned circumferentially offset from the elastic piece 60e, and in this embodiment, the elastic piece 60e is in contact with the inner surface of the head outer peripheral wall 62b. As described above, since the inclined rib 62f protrudes radially inward from the inner surface of the head outer peripheral wall 62b, the amount of deflection of the elastic piece 60e is reduced or not deflected at all when the head 62 is in the standby position as shown in Figure 17, compared to when the head 62 is in the operating position as shown in Figure 13A and is deflected radially inward by the inclined rib 62f. In other words, if the elastic piece 60e is left in a bent state for a long period of time, the greater the amount of bending, the more easily the elastic piece 60e will deteriorate. However, in the pump-type discharger 100C of this embodiment, the head 62 can be rotated to the standby position during storage, etc. In this case, the amount of bending of the elastic piece 60e is less (or it becomes unbent) than when the head 62 is rotated to the operating position, so deterioration can be suppressed.

[0083] When the head 62 is rotated between the standby position and the operating position, the small projection 62g contacts the contact surface 61g located between the small groove 61c in the standby position and the small groove 61e in the operating position, and the large projection 62h contacts the contact surface 61g located between the large groove 61d in the standby position and the large groove 61f in the operating position. In other words, when the head 62 is rotated, friction is generated between the small projection 62g and the contact surface 61g, and between the large projection 62h and the contact surface 61g, creating resistance, so that the head 62 does not rotate unintentionally between the standby position and the operating position.

[0084] Although 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 just one example, and the present invention also includes the use of other types of pumps.

[0085] Furthermore, the configuration of the pump-type discharger can be modified as appropriate. The multiple components described above may be made up of a single component, or one component may be divided into multiple components. For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, the "head" was made up of two components, the head body 12 and the head inner component 13, but it may be made up of a single component. Also, in the third embodiment, the cap body 60 and the cap cover 61 may be integrated and made up of a single component.

[0086] (Note) This specification discloses the following technology in one aspect. The reference numerals listed below correspond to the reference numerals in the attached drawings, but are provided as examples only and are not intended to limit the invention of this application.

[0087] (Technology 1) A pump-type dispenser (100A, 100B) comprising a cap (10) attached to the mouth of a container that holds liquid contents, a pump driven by the movement of a stem (7a) held at the mouth by the cap (10), and a head (12, 13) connected to the stem (7a) and having a discharge port (12d) for discharging the liquid contents to the outside, wherein the liquid contents in the container are discharged from the discharge port (12d) by moving the head (12, 13) along the central axis (O) of the stem (7a), wherein the cap (10) has an extension (10d) extending toward the head (12, 13), The head (12, 13) has a base portion (13a) and an elastic piece (13c) to which a root portion (13c1) is connected to the base portion (13a) and which bends away from the central axis (O) by the extension portion (10d) when the head (12, 13) is advanced toward the cap (10), and is rotatable relative to the cap (10) between a pressable position where it can move toward the cap (10) and a non-pressable position where it is prevented from moving toward the cap (10). The extension portion (10) is a pump-type discharger (100A, 100B) comprising: pressing portions (10e, 10v) that contact the elastic piece (13c) when the head (12, 13) is rotated to the pressable position and cause the elastic piece (13c) to bend by a standby deflection amount; and recessed portions (10f, 10t) that cause the elastic piece (13c) to bend by a deflection amount less than the standby deflection amount or that do not contact the elastic piece (13c) when the head (12, 13) is rotated to the non-pressable position.

[0088] This technology allows the head to return to its upper limit when rotated to a pressing position, as the pressing portion that contacts the elastic piece causes the elastic piece to deflect by a predetermined amount (standby deflection). Furthermore, when the head is rotated to a non-pressing position, such as when not in use, the amount of deflection of the elastic piece is reduced by the recessed portion, making the elastic piece less prone to deformation.

[0089] (Technology 2) The pump-type discharger (100A, 100B) according to Technology 1, wherein the elastic piece (13c) extends in a direction that approaches the central axis (O) as it moves from the base portion toward the cap (10), and the extension portion (10d) is inclined in a direction that moves away from the central axis (O) as it moves away from the heads (12, 13).

[0090] This technology makes the length of the elastic piece longer than an elastic piece that extends straight along the central axis from the base towards the cap. Furthermore, since the extension extends at an angle away from the central axis as it moves away from the head, the contact point where the extension contacts the elastic piece moves from closer to the tip of the extension to closer to the base of the extension as the head moves forward. In other words, as the head moves forward, the elastic piece moves closer to the extension, but as mentioned above, the contact point on the extension moves from the tip to the base of the extension, so the distance from the base of the elastic piece to the contact point becomes longer than if the contact point did not change. As a result of these actions, the rate at which the force required to bend the elastic piece increases becomes more gradual, so the resistance force that fingers or other objects receive from the head when pressing it increases more gradually, making the feel when pressing the head lighter and improving operability. Furthermore, by making the rate of increase in the force required to bend the elastic piece gradual, the load applied to the elastic piece can be reduced, thereby suppressing the deformation of the elastic piece.

[0091] (Technical 3) The pump-type discharger (100A) according to Technical 2, wherein the extension portion (10d) is a shell-shaped wall continuously connected in a direction circumferential to the central axis (O), and the pressing portion (10e) and the recessed portion (10f) are alternately provided on the head (12, 13) side of the shell-shaped wall in a direction circumferential to the central axis (O).

[0092] This technology makes the structure of the extended portion, pressed portion, and recessed portion more suitable for mass production, and makes it easier to realize the present invention.

[0093] (Technical 4) The pump-type discharger (100B) according to Technical 2, wherein the extension portion (10r) is a plurality of vertical walls (10s) provided at intervals in a direction circumferential to the central axis (O), the pressing portion (10v) is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the vertical walls (10s), and the recess portion (10t) is provided between adjacent vertical walls (10s).

[0094] This technology also makes the structure of the extended portion, pressed portion, and recessed portion more suitable for mass production, making it easier to realize the present invention.

[0095] (Technical 5) The pump-type discharger (100A, 100B) according to Technical 2, wherein the tip of the elastic piece (13c) extends in a direction away from the central axis (O) as it approaches the cap (10).

[0096] This technology eliminates the need to bend elastic pieces in an unnatural direction when assembling pump-type dischargers, thereby improving assembly efficiency.

[0097] (Technical 6) The pump-type discharger (100A, 100B) according to Technical 1, comprising: a head body (12) having a discharge port (12d) and a cylindrical portion (12a) connected to the stem (7a) and extending along the central axis (O) with an internal passage connected to the discharge port (12d); and a head inner member (13) having a base portion (13a) and an elastic piece (13c), which is attached to the inside of the head body (12).

[0098] This technology makes the structure for providing the elastic piece to the head more suitable for mass production, thus facilitating the realization of the present invention.

[0099] (Technical 7) A pump-type dispenser (100C) comprising: a cap (60, 61) attached to the mouth of a container for holding liquid contents; a pump driven by the movement of a stem (57a) held at the mouth by the cap (60, 61); and a head (62) connected to the stem (57a) and having a discharge port (62e) for discharging the liquid contents to the outside, wherein the liquid contents in the container are discharged from the discharge port (62e) by moving the head (62) toward the cap (60, 61), The head (62) has a head top wall (62a), a head outer peripheral wall (62b) connected to the head top wall (62a), and an inclined rib (62f) that protrudes from the inner surface of the head outer peripheral wall (62b) toward the central axis (O) of the stem (57a) and is inclined toward the central axis (O) toward the head top wall (62a) from the cap (60, 61), and the cap (60, 61) has a base portion and an elastic piece (60e) to which a root portion (60e1) is connected to the base portion and which bends toward the central axis (O) by the inclined rib (62f) when the head (62) is advanced toward the cap (60, 61), The elastic piece (60e) extends in a direction away from the central axis (O) as it moves from the base portion (60e1) toward the head (62), in a pump-type discharger (100C).

[0100] This technology eliminates the need to separate metal parts after use, as was required with conventional pump-type dispensers, allowing them to be reused as resin parts. Furthermore, because the increase in force required to flex the elastic piece is gradual, the resistance force felt by fingers or other objects when pressing the head increases more gradually, resulting in a lighter feel when pressing the head and improved operability. While the above effects can also be obtained by forming the entire inner surface of the outer wall of the head to have the same shape as the longitudinal cross-section of the inclined rib, this would result in a thicker outer wall of the head, which could lead to sink marks when the head is formed by injection molding or similar methods. On the other hand, by providing the inclined rib as described above, sink marks can be prevented when the head is formed by injection molding or similar methods.

[0101] (Technical 8) The pump-type discharger (100C) according to claim 7, wherein the head (62) is rotatable with respect to the caps (60, 61) with respect to the central axis (O) between an operating position and a standby position, and the inclined rib (62f) is in contact with the elastic piece (60e) when the head (62) is rotated to the operating position, and is not in contact with the elastic piece (60e) when the head (62) is rotated to the standby position.

[0102] This technology allows the head to be rotated to a standby position during storage, etc. In this case, the amount of deflection of the elastic piece is less (or no deflection at all) than when the head is rotated to the operating position, thus suppressing the deterioration of the elastic piece.

[0103] (Technical 9) The pump-type discharger (100C) according to claim 8, wherein the outer peripheral wall of the head (62b) extends in a direction circumferential to the central axis (O), the caps (60, 61) have an outer peripheral wall of the cap (61a) that extends in a direction circumferential to the central axis (O), the outer peripheral wall of the head (62b) has projections (62g, 62h) that protrude toward the outer peripheral wall of the cap (61a), and the outer peripheral wall of the cap (61a) has a stopper (61h) located on the cap (60, 61) side relative to the projections (62g, 62h) when the head (62) is rotated to the standby position, and vertical grooves (61e, 61f) that extend along the central axis (O) and into which the projections (62g, 62h) are accommodated when the head (62) is rotated to the operating position.

[0104] This technology allows the head to be advanced by rotating it to the operating position, while also preventing the head from being unintentionally pushed down and causing unintended discharge of the liquid by rotating it to the standby position.

[0105] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments, and unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description, various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, the configuration of the above-described embodiment can be added or deleted as appropriate, and the configuration of one embodiment can be provided in other embodiments. Furthermore, the effects in the above-described embodiment are merely illustrative of the effects that may result 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 also be produced in addition to the above-described effects.

[0106] 1: Cylinder 1a: Bottom wall 1b: Cylinder wall 1c: Flange wall 1d: Suction port 1e: Retaining cylinder 1f: Vent 2: Valve member 2a: Base 2b: Valve body 2c: Connecting piece 4: Pipe 5: Internal member 5a: Connecting cylinder 5b: Bottom 5c: Communication port 5d: Annular part 6: Piston 6a: Base 6b: Outer sliding piece 6c: Inner sliding piece 7: Cylindrical member 7a: Stem 7b: Enlarged diameter part 8: Holder 8a: Holder base 8b: Flange 9: Packing 10: Cap 10a: Top wall 10b: Lower peripheral wall 10c: Female thread part 10d, 10r: Extension part 10e, 10v: Pressing part 10f, 10t: Recessed part 10g, 10u: Rib on the back side 10h: Upper peripheral wall 10j: First recess 10k: Second recess 10m: First longitudinal groove 10n: Second longitudinal groove 10p: First connection part 10q: Second connection part 12: Head body (head) 12a: Cylindrical part 12b: Top part 12c: Nozzle 12d: Discharge port 12e: Outer peripheral wall 12f: First projection 12g: Second projection 13: Head inner member (head) 13a: Base part 13a1: Through hole 13b: Cylindrical wall 13c: Elastic piece 13c1: Elastic piece root part (root part) 13c2: Elastic piece body part (body part) 13c3: Elastic piece tip part 13d: Reinforcing rib 100A, 100B, 100C: Pump-type discharger 51: Cylinder 51a: Bottom wall part 51b: Cylindrical wall part 51c: Flange wall 51d: Inlet 51e: Retaining cylinder 51f: Vent 52: Valve member 52a: Base 52b: Valve body 52c: Connecting piece 54: Pipe 55: Internal member 55a: Connecting cylinder 55b: Bottom 55c: Communication port 55d: Annular part 56: Piston 56a: Base 56b: Outer sliding piece 56c: Inner sliding piece 57: Cylindrical member 57a: Stem 57b: Enlarged diameter part 58: Holder 58a: Holder base 58b: Flange 59: Packing 60: Cap body (cap) 60a: Top wall (base part) 60b: Peripheral wall 60c: Female thread part 60d: Anti-rotation rib 60e: Elastic piece 60e1: Elastic piece root (root part) 60e2: Elastic piece tip 60f: Reinforcement rib 61: Cap cover (cap) 61a: Cap outer wall 61b: Anti-rotation recess 61c: Standby position small groove 61d: Standby position large groove 61e: Operating position small groove (vertical groove) 61f: Operating position large groove (vertical groove) 61g: Contact surface 61h: Stopper62: Head 62a: Head top wall 62b: Head outer wall 62c: Cylindrical section 62d: Nozzle 62e: Discharge port 62f: Inclined rib 62g: Small protrusion (projection) 62h: Large protrusion (projection) O: Central axis P: Contact point

Claims

1. A pump-type dispenser comprising: a cap fitted to the mouth of a container holding liquid contents; a pump driven by the movement of a stem held at the mouth by the cap; and a head connected to the stem and having a discharge port for discharging the liquid contents to the outside, wherein 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 an extension portion extending toward the head, and the head has a base portion and an elastic piece whose root portion is connected to the base portion and which bends away from the central axis by the extension portion when the head is advanced toward the cap, and is rotatable relative to the cap between a pressable position where it can move toward the cap and an unpressable position where it is prevented from moving toward the cap, The extension portion comprises a pressing portion that contacts the elastic piece when the head is rotated to the pressable position and causes the elastic piece to bend by a standby deflection amount, and a recessed portion that causes the elastic piece to bend by a deflection amount less than the standby deflection amount or does not contact the elastic piece when the head is rotated to the non-pressable position.

2. The pump-type discharger according to claim 1, wherein the elastic piece extends in a direction that approaches the central axis as it moves from the base toward the cap, and the extension is inclined in a direction that moves away from the central axis as it moves away from the head.

3. The pump-type discharger according to claim 1, wherein the extension portion is a shell-shaped wall continuously connected in a direction circumferential to the central axis, and the pressing portion and the recessed portion are alternately provided on the head side of the shell-shaped wall in a direction circumferential to the central axis.

4. The pump-type discharger according to claim 1, wherein the extension portion is a plurality of vertical walls spaced apart in a direction circumferential to the central axis, the pressing portion is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the vertical wall, and the recess portion is provided between adjacent vertical walls.

5. The pump-type discharger according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the elastic piece extends in a direction away from the central axis as it approaches the cap.

6. The pump-type discharger according to claim 1, wherein the head comprises a head body having a discharge port and a cylindrical portion connected to the stem and extending along the central axis with an internal passage leading to the discharge port, and a head inner member having a base portion and an elastic piece, and being attached to the inside of the head body.

7. A pump-type dispenser comprising: a cap fitted to the mouth of a container for holding liquid contents; a pump driven by the movement of a stem held at the mouth by the cap; and a head connected to the stem and having a discharge port for discharging the liquid contents to the outside, wherein the liquid contents in the container are discharged from the discharge port by moving the head toward the cap, wherein the head has a head top wall, a head outer circumferential wall connected to the head top wall, and an inclined rib protruding from the inner surface of the head outer circumferential wall toward the central axis of the stem and inclined toward the central axis toward the head top wall toward the cap, the cap has a base portion and an elastic piece whose root portion is connected to the base portion and which bends toward the central axis toward the central axis by the inclined rib when the head is advanced toward the cap, and the elastic piece extends toward the central axis toward the head toward the root portion.

8. The pump-type discharger according to claim 7, wherein the head is rotatable with respect to the cap about the central axis between an operating position and a standby position, and the inclined rib contacts the elastic piece when the head is rotated to the operating position, while not contacting the elastic piece when the head is rotated to the standby position.

9. The pump-type discharger according to claim 8, wherein the outer peripheral wall of the head extends in a direction circumferential to the central axis, the cap has an outer peripheral wall of the cap that extends in a direction circumferential to the central axis, the outer peripheral wall of the head has a projection that protrudes toward the outer peripheral wall of the cap, and the outer peripheral wall of the cap has a stopper located toward the cap side relative to the projection when the head is rotated to the standby position, and a vertical groove that extends along the central axis and into which the projection fits when the head is rotated to the operating position.

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