JP2002308355A - Dispenser apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dispenser apparatus in which it shows a convenience in use, it is lightweight and it is conveniently used by an old person or a physi cally challenging person. SOLUTION: There is provided a dispenser apparatus 10 comprising a chargeable battery cell 17; an actuator 16 with an electricity applied as a driving source; a valve operated by the actuator; a control segment for controlling the actuator; a dispenser main body 11 having operating buttons 30, 31, and 32; a charger 17 for use in converting an AC power supply into a DC power supply, and charging electricity in the battery cell; and a stand 12 having a mounting hole 34.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a dispenser device. More specifically, liquids are atomized, foamed,
The present invention relates to a dispenser device for spraying a mist or a gel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-188370 discloses that an electric vibrator having a motor for rotating an eccentric weight and a replaceable battery for supplying electricity to the vibrator are incorporated in a casing. An aerosol device with a vibration massage function, which is detachably attached to the bottom of an aerosol container, is disclosed. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-342201 discloses an aerosol device having a vibration massage function in which a similar massager unit is exchangeably attached to a shoulder at the upper end of an aerosol container. In these aerosol devices, the vibration force is not gradually reduced as compared with a device that generates vibration by the injection force. However, a battery having a relatively large capacity is required to maintain a predetermined voltage until the entire amount is ejected. Therefore, the whole apparatus becomes heavy and handling is inconvenient. In addition, when replacing the container, it is troublesome to replace the battery each time.

[0003] Further, after a foam or gel-like content is ejected, the temperature of the content is raised by a chemical reaction between the content and water or between the contents, or the temperature is increased by heat of vaporization of a liquefied gas. There is also known a device that gives a user a comfortable feeling of use by lowering the power. However, since a chemical phenomenon such as a chemical reaction or heat of vaporization is used, a desired temperature cannot be freely set.

On the other hand, a general aerosol device opens a valve by pushing down or tilting a stem constantly biased in a return direction by a spring, and ejects a stock solution by an internal pressure generated by a propellant. Then, the user holds the main body of the aerosol device with his hand and presses a push button to operate the stem. Further, in the case of a pump-type container in which the contents are ejected by a pump, it is difficult to operate only the fingertips depending on the pump, and it is necessary to perform an operation of pushing with a palm. For this reason, it is difficult for an elderly person or a physically handicapped person who has weak fingers or hands to operate, and even a healthy person becomes fatigued by a long-time operation or an operation in an unnatural posture.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the problems of the above-mentioned conventional aerosol products or pump-type squirt containers, and provides a dispenser device which is easy to use, relatively lightweight, and easy to use for the elderly and physically handicapped. It is a technical issue to provide.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a dispenser device comprising: a rechargeable battery; an assist mechanism powered by electricity; an ejection mechanism for ejecting contents; and an assist mechanism and / or an ejection mechanism. It is characterized by comprising a dispenser main body including an operation unit for operation, and a charger for converting an AC power supply to a DC power supply and charging the battery. In such a dispenser device, the charger may be provided on the dispenser body. Also, separate from the dispenser body,
It is preferable that the dispenser is provided with a mounting portion for mounting the main body, a charging connection portion for charging the battery of the main body in contact or non-contact, and a power connection portion for connecting to an AC power supply.

A second aspect of the dispenser device of the present invention is a dispenser body including an assist mechanism using electric power as a power source, and an ejection mechanism for ejecting contents, and a mounting portion for mounting the dispenser body. A stand provided with a power supply unit for converting an AC power supply to a DC power supply and transmitting DC power to the dispenser main body, and an operation unit for operating the assist mechanism and / or the injection mechanism. I have. The operation unit may be provided on the dispenser main body, may be provided on the stand side, or may be independent from both.

The assist mechanism may be a temperature controller for heating or cooling the contents jetted by the jetting mechanism, or may be a vibrator for generating vibration near the nozzle of the jetting mechanism. Further, the assist mechanism may be an actuator for controlling the injection / stop of the injection mechanism.

A third aspect of the dispenser device of the present invention is an assist mechanism using a predetermined heat energy as a power source, an ejection mechanism for ejecting contents, and an operation unit for operating the assist mechanism and the ejection mechanism. A dispenser body comprising: a dispenser body, a regenerator capable of being filled with thermal energy stored in the dispenser body, and energy extracting means for extracting energy from the regenerator to operate the assist mechanism. And Here, “thermal energy” includes not only high-temperature thermal energy but also so-called “cold thermal energy”.

[0010]

Since the dispenser device of the present invention includes a rechargeable battery and a charger for charging the battery, the battery is discharged from the battery at the time of use, and the assist mechanism is operated. When not in use, the battery can be charged by the amount used by the charger. Therefore, the capacity of the battery may be small and the battery may be light in weight. Therefore, handling is easy. Since the usual dispenser device has a short use time per use and a long interval between uses, a sufficient charge can be performed during that time.

A device in which the charger is integrated with the dispenser body is heavier by the amount of the charger, but does not require searching for a charger when charging. In addition, since it can be handled as a single unit, it is convenient when it is carried on a trip or when it is stored in a washroom. On the other hand,
If the charger is separate from the dispenser body, the body can be made even lighter.

The dispenser device further includes a mounting portion for mounting the dispenser main body, a charging connection portion for charging the battery of the main body in contact or non-contact, and a power connection portion for connecting to an AC power supply, and the main body is not used. In this case, the main body may be placed on the mounting portion of the charger to charge the battery, and may be removed from the charger when used. After use, it can be immediately placed on the mounting portion of the charger, so that it can be used like a stand. This way,
There is no need to search for a charger every time.

In a second aspect of the dispenser device of the present invention, the dispenser device is used with the main body attached to a stand. Therefore, there is no need to check the state of charge, and the device can be used at any time. By operating the operation unit, electricity is sent to the dispenser main body via the power supply unit of the stand, and the contents can be ejected from the dispenser main body with the assistance of the assist mechanism. However, when using only the main body, the advantages of the assist mechanism cannot be enjoyed, and the contents are simply ejected.

When a temperature controller for heating or cooling the contents injected by the injection mechanism is employed as the assist mechanism, the temperature of the contents is preliminarily heated by a temperature controller such as an electric heater or a cooler. After or after cooling, it can be sprayed towards the user's hands and face. As a result, the user can receive the contents at an appropriate temperature, and the user feels good. Here, "heating or cooling the contents" means directly heating / cooling the contents, heating / cooling the injection member or the passage to the injection hole, and indirectly heating / cooling the contents. Including cases.

When the assist mechanism is a vibrator that generates vibration near the nozzle of the injection mechanism, a massage effect can be obtained by the vibrator while injecting the chemical. Therefore, a medical solution can be effectively applied, and a high massage effect can be obtained. Furthermore, since the battery is provided with a rechargeable battery and a charger, it can be used without worrying about the amount of battery used. Therefore, it is also possible to use it only for massage without spraying the contents.

Further, when the assist mechanism is an actuator for controlling the injection / stop of the injection mechanism, it is sufficient to operate a switch for controlling the actuator.
There is no need to operate against the urging force of the spring or to push the pump in, and it is possible to operate easily with just the fingertips.

In the third aspect of the dispenser device of the present invention, since the dispenser body is provided with a heat accumulator for accumulating heat energy, the assist mechanism is operated by the heat energy extracted from the heat accumulator by the extracting means. Can be. When the assist mechanism heats or cools the ejected material, the thermal energy can be directly used for heating or cooling the ejected material, so that the energy efficiency is high.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of a dispenser device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the dispenser device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the dispenser body in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the dispenser device of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part showing another embodiment of the assist mechanism of the dispenser device of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the dispenser device of the present invention, and FIGS. It is the principal part sectional view and front view which show other embodiment of the dispenser apparatus.

The dispenser device 10 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a dispenser body 11 and a stand 12 for supporting the dispenser body. The dispenser body 11
It includes a case 14, an aerosol container 15 housed in the case, an electric actuator 16 for operating a valve of the aerosol container, and a rechargeable battery 17 for supplying electricity to the actuator. An operation button 18 for directly driving the actuator 16 with a finger is provided at an upper end of the case 14, and a nozzle 19 protrudes forward near the upper end.

As shown in FIG. 2, the aerosol container 15 includes a container body 20, a valve 21 attached to the upper end of the container body, and a push button 23 attached to a valve stem 22. The container main body 20 is filled with a conventionally known stock solution for an aerosol device and a propellant. As the valve 21, a conventionally known valve can be used. The electric actuator 16 has a lever 25 driven by a motor or a solenoid actuator. The lever 25 is a push button 23 of the aerosol container 15.
Alternatively, it is engaged with the stem 22. The nozzle 19 protrudes forward from the push button 23. The operation button 18 is connected so as to directly drive the lever 25. When the voltage of the battery 17 decreases and becomes unusable,
It can be sprayed by direct operation. The electric actuator 16 is the assist mechanism according to the first aspect.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rechargeable battery 17 is accommodated in the case 14 in parallel with the aerosol container 15. As the battery 17, for example, a so-called secondary battery such as a nickel cadmium battery or a lithium ion battery is used. As the secondary battery, a lithium ion battery having no memory effect is preferable. At the lower end of the case 14, a connection terminal 28 for contacting the power supply electrode of the stand 12 and transmitting DC power to the battery 17 is provided. Reference numeral 29 denotes a control unit for controlling the actuator 16 according to the operator's intention.

The control unit 29 adjusts the opening / closing and opening time (injection amount) of the valve 21 and the degree of opening of the valve 21 in response to signals from operation buttons 30 to 32 or other switches described later. And a function for calculating and displaying the remaining amount of the aerosol container 15. Dispenser body 11
Alternatively, the stand 12 is provided with various switches for transmitting signals to the control unit 29, an input means such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a liquid crystal display device for displaying the contents of the operation instructed by the switches and the remaining amount of the aerosol container. , Input / output signal control means, and the like.
For example, when the operator designates the total ejection amount of the chemical solution in which the upper limit of one application amount is determined by using a keyboard, the control unit 2
9 adjusts the opening degree and opening time of the valve 21 so that the total ejection amount can be precisely controlled. Note that the dispenser body 11 and the stand 12 may be connected by a cord or wirelessly. In this case, a large input unit such as the control unit 29 or a keyboard or a large display unit such as a display is provided on the stand 12 side, and small operation buttons are provided. Preferably, only switches and switches are provided on the dispenser main body 11 side.

As shown in FIG. 1, operation buttons (operation switches) 30, 31, and 32 used for normal operations are provided on the outer peripheral side surface of the case 14. These operation buttons send a signal to the control unit 29 and are used to select an operation pattern of the actuator. For example, a continuous button 30 that continuously ejects while being pressed, a pulse button 31 that ejects intermittently in a pulsed manner while being pressed,
And a fixed amount button 32 which stops after ejecting a fixed amount even if the button is released immediately after being pressed. These operation buttons are essentially switches, and a spring having a much smaller return force than a spring for urging the stem 22 of the valve 21 can be employed. Therefore, the operation can be performed with a light touch, and the operation is easy even for the elderly and the physically handicapped. Note that a touch switch or the like may be employed.

On the front side of the stand 12, a mounting hole 34 for accommodating a lower portion of the dispenser main body 11 is provided. In this embodiment, the mounting hole 34 is oblique. Therefore, the dispenser main body 11 inserted into the mounting hole 34 is inclined obliquely, and can be easily taken by hand. Mounting hole 34
A terminal 35 for supplying electricity to the battery 17 in contact with the connection electrode 28 of the dispenser main body 11 is provided at the bottom of the dispenser main body 11. At the rear of the stand 12, a plug 36 connected to an outlet such as a household 100V AC power supply is integrally provided. Further, a charger 37 for converting, for example, an AC power supply of 100 to 120 V to a DC power supply of 6 to 12 V is housed inside the stand 12. The plug 36 can be connected to the stand 12 via a cord. Dispenser body 11 and stand 1
The electrical connection 2 may be a direct contact or a non-contact type by electromagnetic induction or the like.

In the dispenser device 10 configured as described above, the plug 36 of the stand 12 is always connected to an outlet, and the dispenser body 11 is housed in the mounting hole 34 as indicated by an imaginary line. Thereby, the battery 1 always
7 is charged. Dispenser body 1 when using
1 is taken out and taken out from the mounting hole 34 of the stand 12. Then, any one of the continuous button 30, the pulse button 31, and the fixed amount button 32 is pressed with a fingertip such as an index finger according to the usage pattern. The control unit 29 detects the operation of these operation buttons, energizes the motor of the actuator 16 in a selected predetermined pattern, and operates the actuator 16. As a result, the lever 25 is driven, and the push button 23 is pressed. Thereby, the valve 21 is opened and the container body 1 is opened.
4, ie, the stock solution and the propellant,
Through the push button 23, and finally ejects from the nozzle 19 to the outside. When the continuous button 30 or the pulse button 31 is released, or when a fixed amount is ejected after pressing the fixed amount button 32, the actuator 16 returns by a signal from the control unit 29, the valve 21 is closed, and the ejection is stopped.

The form of ejection depends on the type of the contents (the type and viscosity of the stock solution, the presence or absence of the propellant and the pressurizing agent, the mixing ratio thereof),
Depending on the form (shape, size and length of the diameter of the injection hole) of the nozzle, it may be in the form of a mist, a foam, a gel, or a mist, but any of the dispensers of the present invention can be employed. Further, the shape, orientation, and position of the nozzle 19 are not particularly limited. Since the operation buttons 30, 31, and 32 only need to output an electric signal, a touch switch or the like may be employed. Further, a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of the contents, for example, a pressure sensor for measuring the weight, a sensor for detecting the electric capacity (capacity) or the electric resistance, or the like is used, and the remaining amount of the contents is displayed based on the output. The indicator may be provided on the surface of the case 14.

The dispenser device 40 shown in FIG. 3 uses a plug 3 directly in the dispenser body 11 without using a stand.
6 are provided. A charger for converting an alternating current into a direct current and adjusting the voltage is accommodated in the case 14.
Other configurations are substantially the same as those of the dispenser device 10 of FIG. This is heavier than that of FIG. 1 because it has a built-in charger. However, since there is no need to provide a stand, no space is required. The plug 36 is always plugged into an outlet 41 of an AC power supply such as 100V, and the plug 4 is used at the time of use.
Remove from 1. The plug 36 may be connected to the dispenser main body 11 via a cord.

In the dispenser device 42 shown in FIG.
As an assist mechanism, a heater 43 for heating the ejected contents is employed. The heater 43 is heated by electricity extracted from a rechargeable battery,
The heating chamber 45 or the heat exchange chamber provided in the middle of the ejection passage 44 is surrounded. Note that the heater 43 may be inserted into the heating chamber 45 after being electrically insulated. The ejection passage 44 may be surrounded by the heater 43 without providing the heating chamber 45.

Further, in this embodiment, the plug 36 is provided rotatably between a state protruding rearward and a state folded downward or upward. Therefore, the plug 36 can be folded during use, and handling is easy. Other configurations are the same as those of the dispenser device 10 of FIG.

The dispenser device 42 is suitable for, for example, ejecting a shaving foam, a humectant, a treatment agent, a setting agent, a pack agent, a cleansing agent, etc. in the form of a foam or a gel. When pressed, the contents coming out of the stem 22 once enter the heating chamber 45, are heated to an appropriate temperature by the heater 43, and then eject from the nozzle 19. For this reason, the user can pick up the ejected matter having an appropriate temperature and put it on the skin. In particular, in the case of shaving foam, the skin contact is soft and comfortable, and has an effect of softening the beard. Further, when the ejected matter is a hair treatment or the like, the treatment agent is easily adapted to the hair at an appropriate temperature, and the effect is enhanced. In the case of oily contents, the viscosity is reduced and the elongation is improved.

In place of the heater 43, an element such as a Peltier element that converts electric energy into cold energy can be used. In this case, the ejected material is moderately discharged in the heat exchange chamber (the heating chamber 45 in FIG. 4). Can be cooled to temperature. Such a dispenser device can effectively apply a drug solution to an affected part while relieving pain, irritation and the like of a human body when spouting an antiphlogistic analgesic, an anti-itch agent, a hot flash, or the like.

The dispenser device 50 shown in FIG. 5 includes a stand 12 and a dispenser body 11 attached to the stand. The dispenser main body 11 has two aerosol containers 15a, 15
b is stored upside down. The number of aerosol containers may be one, or three or more. Dispenser body 11
Is preferably detachable from the stand 12, but may be fixed. The stand 12 has two continuous buttons 30 and two pulse buttons 31 for the left and right aerosol containers.
An arm 53 for holding the dispenser body 11 protrudes in the middle of the spine column 52. The arm 53 holds the dispenser main body 11. The control unit 29 similar to that shown in FIG. Further, the dispenser main body 11 houses an electric actuator that opens and closes a valve based on the operation of the operation buttons 30 and 31 and a signal from the control unit 29. Since the dispenser body 11 is not detached from the stand 12, there is no need to accommodate a battery or a charger. However, it may be provided on demand.

The stand portion 51 of the stand 12 is provided with an indicator 55 for indicating the remaining amount of the contents in the left and right aerosol containers 15a and 15b, respectively. In addition, the operation buttons such as the continuous button 30 and the pulse button 31 may be provided one by one, and a container selection button 56 for selecting which of the left and right aerosol containers is operated may be provided. In addition, three operation buttons may be provided for each of the left and right aerosol containers, including the fixed amount button.

In this dispenser device 50, while the dispenser main body 11 is attached to the stand 12, the user puts his hand below the nozzle 19 and pushes the operation buttons 30 and 31 to push the nozzle 19 of the aerosol container 15 on either side.
Spout the contents from Left and right aerosol container 15
Preferably, a and 15b are filled with different contents, and it is preferable to select which aerosol container is to be ejected from according to the user's preference and necessity. For example, one aerosol container 15a is filled with one agent of perm, and the other aerosol container 15b is filled with two agents of perm. Note that a non-contact type sensor, for example, an infrared sensor may be provided instead of the operation button.

In the above-described embodiment, the aerosol container is housed in each dispenser main body. However, in the dispenser device 60 of FIG. 6, an injection mechanism using a pump 61 is employed as an assist mechanism. The pump 61 is an electric pump operated by a motor. The switch for driving the motor is a trigger 62. It is also possible to provide a return spring on the trigger 62 and adjust the ejection amount of the pump 61 by the amount of pull operation of the trigger. Other configurations are the same as those of the dispenser device 10 of FIG. 1 or the dispenser device 40 of FIG.

This is while the trigger 62 is being pulled.
The contents are continuously ejected from the nozzle 19 by the action of the pump 61. However, it is also possible to make it eject in a pulsed manner, to make a fixed amount of ejection, or to select any of them.

The dispenser device 65 shown in FIG. 7 employs a vibrator 66 as an assist mechanism, and has a large number of massage projections 67 on the upper surface of the push button 23.
Is provided. The side of the case 14 has a vibrator 6
A switch 68 for turning on and off the switch 6 is provided. The dispenser device 65 may be provided with a rechargeable battery, or may be directly energized by a cord 69 from a household AC power supply. As the vibrator 66, one using a conventionally known eccentric weight or the like can be adopted. The dispenser device 65 fills the aerosol container 15 with a hair activator or the like, allows the contents to be ejected from the nozzle 19 to the hair, and activates the vibrator 66 to massage the scalp with the protrusion 67.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the dispenser device 1 has a built-in battery for storing electric energy.
Although 0 and 40 have been described, a regenerator that stores thermal energy (including cold energy) may be built in instead of electric energy. As the heat storage unit, a hot water tank or a cold water tank filled with a super absorbent resin powder and water and surrounded by a heat insulating material can be used. In the case of cold water, it may be frozen and kept warm. It is difficult to convert the heat energy filled in the heat storage into mechanical energy such as rotation and reciprocation, but when heating or cooling the contents, a simple mechanism such as a heat exchanger is sufficient. preferable. When a heat storage device is used, it is preferable that the heat storage device be housed in the dispenser main body and the stand be provided with a heater or a cooling device that converts electric energy into heat energy. It can receive thermal energy converted from electrical energy from the stand while the dispenser body is placed on the stand, and fill the regenerator in the dispenser body.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a dispenser device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the dispenser main body in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the dispenser device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part showing another embodiment of the assist mechanism of the dispenser device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the dispenser device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing still another embodiment of the dispenser device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing still another embodiment of the dispenser device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Dispenser apparatus 11 Dispenser main body 12 Stand 14 Case 15 Aerosol container 16 Actuator 17 Battery 18 Operation button 19 Nozzle 20 Container main body 21 Valve 22 Stem 23 Push button 25 Lever 28 Connection terminal 29 Control part 30 Continuous button 31 Pulse button 32 Quantitative button 34 Mounting hole 35 Terminal 36 Plug 37 Charger 40 Dispenser device 41 Outlet 42 Dispenser device 43 Heater 44 Ejection passage 45 Heating chamber 50 Dispenser device 15a, 15b Aerosol container 51 Stand portion 52 Back column 53 Arm part 55 Indicator 56 Container selection button Reference Signs List 60 dispenser device 61 pump 62 trigger 65 dispenser device 66 vibrator 67 protrusion 68 switch 69 Over de

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── of the front page continued (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification mark FI theme Court Bu (reference) B05B 11/00 102 A45D 34/04 550 // A45D 34/04 550 B65D 83/14 F

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A rechargeable battery, comprising: an assist mechanism using electric power as a power source; an ejection mechanism for ejecting contents; and an operation unit for operating the assist mechanism and / or the ejection mechanism. A dispenser device comprising: a dispenser main body; and a charger for converting an AC power supply to a DC power supply and charging the battery. 2. The dispenser device according to claim 1, wherein the charger is provided on a dispenser main body. 3. The battery charger according to claim 1, wherein the charger is separate from the dispenser main body, a mounting portion for mounting the dispenser main body, a charging connection portion for charging the battery of the main body in contact or non-contact, and a power supply for connecting to an AC power supply. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting portion.
A dispenser device as described. 4. A dispenser body provided with an assist mechanism using electric power as a power source, an ejection mechanism for ejecting contents, a receiver for mounting the dispenser body, and converting an AC power supply into a DC power supply. A dispenser device comprising: a stand including a power supply unit for transmitting direct current electricity to a dispenser body; and an operation unit for operating the assist mechanism and / or the ejection mechanism. 5. The dispenser device according to claim 1, wherein the assist mechanism is a temperature controller that heats or cools the content injected by the injection mechanism. 6. The dispenser device according to claim 1, wherein the assist mechanism is a vibrator that generates vibration near a nozzle of the injection mechanism. 7. The injection mechanism according to claim 7, wherein
5. An actuator for controlling a stop.
A dispenser device as described. 8. A dispenser body including an assist mechanism using a predetermined heat energy as a power source, an ejection mechanism for ejecting contents, an operation unit for operating the assist mechanism and the ejection mechanism, and the dispenser. A dispenser device, comprising: a regenerator capable of being filled with thermal energy stored in a main body; and energy extracting means for extracting thermal energy from the regenerator and operating the assist mechanism.