JP2023112523A - pump dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a pump dispenser capable of preventing air entrainment.SOLUTION: A pump dispenser includes: a body part which has a pump capable of sucking and pressure-feeding a liquid; and a nozzle which has a discharge port capable of discharging the liquid pressure-fed by the pump. The body part includes a mounting part which can be mounted on a container capable of being placed on a placement surface. The pump includes: a pressing surface which can be pressed; a pump chamber which can be expanded or contracted by a pressing operation of the pressing surface; and an outflow port which allows the liquid inside the pump chamber to flow out toward the nozzle by the pressing operation. The pressing surface is provided toward a horizontal direction in the state where the mounting part is mounted on the container. A height of the outflow port in a vertical direction in the state where the mounting part is mounted on the container is positioned at the same position as a centroid position of the pressing surface or above the centroid position of the pressing surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to pump dispensers.

Dispensers that eject liquid from an ejection port are conventionally known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pump chamber formed by a recess opening upward and a lid covering the recess, and a liquid outflow passage from the pump chamber to a discharge port extends in the radial direction of the recess, A dispenser is disclosed that ejects a liquid from an ejection port by pressing the lid from above.

JP 2020-128233 A

However, in the dispenser of Patent Literature 1, if the liquid is discharged before the liquid is accumulated in the pump chamber, so-called air entrapment occurs, in which the liquid is discharged in a state where the air in the pump chamber is mixed with the liquid, resulting in a sufficient flow rate. may not be ejected. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of preventing air entrainment.

The present invention relates to a pump dispenser capable of preventing air entrainment.

The present invention is a pump dispenser comprising a main body having a pump capable of sucking and pumping a liquid, and a nozzle having a discharge port capable of discharging the liquid pumped by the pump, wherein the main body is a mounting portion that can be mounted on a container that can be mounted on the mounting surface; the pump includes a pressing surface that can be pressed; and an outflow port through which the liquid inside the pump chamber is discharged toward the nozzle by a pressing operation, and the pressing surface is provided in a horizontal direction when the mounting portion is mounted on the container. The height of the outflow port in the vertical direction when the mounting portion is mounted on the container is at the same position as the centroid position of the pressing surface or above the centroid position of the pressing surface. It relates to pump dispensers.

The pump dispenser according to the invention can prevent air entrapment.

It is a side view showing roughly the pump dispenser concerning this embodiment. It is a sectional view showing roughly the pump dispenser concerning this embodiment. It is an expanded sectional view which shows roughly the main-body part which concerns on this embodiment. It is an expanded sectional view which shows roughly the pump chamber which concerns on this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows roughly the main-body part which concerns on a modification. FIG. 11 is a side view schematically showing a pump dispenser according to another modified example; It is a perspective view which shows a cover part.

Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to each claim, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solution of the invention. . In addition, the drawings are schematic diagrams in which emphasis, omissions, and ratios are appropriately adjusted in order to illustrate the present invention, and may differ from actual shapes, positional relationships, and ratios.

[Overall Configuration of Dispenser]
A pump dispenser 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. Schematically, the pump dispenser 1 according to the present embodiment has a body portion 10 having a pump 30 capable of sucking and pumping liquid, and a discharge port 50a capable of discharging the liquid pumped by the pump 30. A nozzle 50 and an operation lever 60 capable of pressing a later-described pressing surface 32a of the pump 30 by being pulled against the main body 10 are provided.

The pump dispenser 1 according to this embodiment can be used for the application of discharging relatively low-viscosity liquids such as deodorants, detergents, hair mists, and lotions. The liquid discharged by the pump dispenser 1 according to this embodiment preferably has a viscosity of 10 mPa·s or less (measured with a Brookfield viscometer) at 30° C., for example. However, the pump dispenser 1 according to the present embodiment is not limited to the application of discharging such a relatively low-viscosity liquid. It can also be used for applications that discharge liquids such as shampoos and conditioners having a viscosity of 10,000 mPa·s or more. Moreover, the pump dispenser 1 according to the present embodiment may discharge the liquid as it is, or may be provided with a mechanism for atomizing the liquid and may discharge the liquid in the form of a mist.

The container 3 is, for example, bottle-shaped and configured to be placed on the placement surface. That is, the container 3 is an upright container that is used with its bottom surface placed on the placement surface (upright state). An example of a container 3 that can be suitably used for the pump dispenser 1 according to this embodiment is shown in FIG. The container 3 shown in FIG. 1 includes a bottomed cylindrical container body and a mouth portion 4 provided at the upper end of the container body. In this specification, the term “bottomed cylindrical shape” refers to a cylindrical shape having a bottom at one end and an opening at the other end. Further, in this specification, the term “cylindrical” is not limited to a circular shape (cylindrical shape) in cross section, but also includes a rectangular shape (square tube shape) in cross section. A film container, a delaminated bottle, or the like can be used as the container 3, but the container is not limited to this, and various containers such as a paper container and a bottle container can be used.

In this specification, the term "ejection direction" refers to the direction in which the liquid is ejected toward the object to be ejected, and refers to the direction perpendicular to the opening surface of the ejection port 50a of the nozzle 50, which will be described later.

Further, in this specification, the direction in which the liquid is ejected from the nozzles 50, which will be described later, is defined as "forward", and the opposite direction is defined as "backward". In addition, the upper side in the vertical direction in the upright state in which the container 3 is mounted on the container 3 and the container 3 is placed on the mounting surface, and the opposite direction is referred to as the “downward direction”. .

[Body part]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the body portion 10 includes a mounting portion 20 that can be mounted on the container 3 that can be mounted on the mounting surface, and a pump 30 that can suck and pump liquid. there is

As shown in FIG. 2 , the mounting portion 20 includes a mounting cap 22 configured to be mountable on the mouth portion 4 of the container 3 , an inner cylinder 24 a and an outer cylinder 24 b provided inside the mounting cap 22 , and the container 3 . A dip tube 26 for supplying liquid to the pump chamber P is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting cap 22 is configured to be mountable on the mouth portion 4 formed at the upper end portion of the container 3 . Specifically, the mounting cap 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the mouth portion 4, and has a thread formed on the inner surface thereof that can be screwed with the screw formed on the outer surface of the mouth portion 4. is formed. As a result, the mounting cap 22 is connected to the container 3 by being rotated in one direction after being put on the mouth portion 4 of the container 3, and configured to prevent the pump 30 from coming off, while also preventing the pump 30 from coming off. By rotating in the direction, the connection with the container 3 is released and the separation from the container 3 is possible.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inner cylinder 24a is formed in a cylindrical shape having a diameter that can be inserted into the mouth portion 4 of the container 3, and is configured to be able to hold a dip tube 26 described later at its lower end. It also has a suction valve 28 at its upper end. The suction valve 28 is a check valve configured to allow the liquid to flow in the direction from the container 3 toward the pump chamber P described later and restrict the liquid to flow in the opposite direction. In this embodiment, the suction valve 28 is a disk-shaped check valve, but it is not limited to this, and various known check valves can be employed.

The outer cylinder 24b is formed in a cylindrical shape that can be inserted into the mouth portion 4 of the container 3 and has a diameter larger than that of the inner cylinder 24a. there is The lower end of the inner cylinder 24a and the lower end of the outer cylinder 24b are continuously connected. and the mounting portion 20 are configured to be non-separably connected. That is, the inner cylinder 24 a is formed smaller than the inner diameter of the casing 36 , and the outer cylinder 24 b is formed larger than the inner diameter of the casing 36 . Note that the mounting portion 20 may be formed integrally with the casing 36 by welding with a laser or the like, for example. The upper end portion of the outer cylinder 24b extends radially outward and is configured to function as a retainer for the mounting cap 22. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pump 30 includes a casing 36 having a recess 34 recessed rearward (in the direction opposite to the discharge direction), and a lid 32 attached to the casing 36 so as to cover the recess 34 . An internal space formed by the casing 36 and the lid 32 functions as a pump chamber P that can be expanded or contracted by pressing a pressing surface 32a, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lid 32 is formed in a dome shape and configured to be elastically deformable. The lid 32 is attached to the casing 36 so as to cover the opening 34 a of the recess 34 . A pump chamber P is formed by the lid 32 and the recess 34 when the lid 32 is attached to the casing 36 . As the material of the lid 32, for example, elastomer, silicon, NBR, or the like is used.

The lid 32 has a pressing surface 32a that can be pressed. The pressing surface 32 a is provided in a horizontal direction when the mounting portion 20 is mounted on the container 3 . Specifically, the pressing surface 32 a is convex in the horizontal direction so as to face the pressing portion 64 of the operating lever 60 . In this embodiment, the pressing surface 32a is provided so as to be convex toward the ejection direction of the ejection port 50a of the nozzle 50 .

Further, the lid body 32 is urged by a coil spring 46 provided therein in a direction opposite to a pressing direction (an expansion direction of the pump chamber P). As a result, when the cover 32 is pressed by the pressing portion 64 of the operating lever 60, the pressure inside the pump chamber P becomes positive, and the liquid in the pump chamber P is pressure-fed toward the nozzle 50, and the pressing portion 64 of the operating lever 60 is pumped. When the pressing force is removed, the cover 32 is restored by the biasing force of the coil spring 46, the pressure inside the pump chamber P becomes negative, and the liquid in the container 3 is sucked into the pump chamber P. The pump chamber P preferably has a capacity capable of storing a predetermined amount of liquid in a non-operating state.

As shown in FIG. 3, the casing 36 is a hollow cylindrical member, one end of which is connected to the nozzle 50, and the other end of which is provided with the mounting portion 20. As shown in FIG. The casing 36 has an outflow port 38 through which the liquid inside the pump chamber P flows out toward the nozzle 50 by a pressing operation. The casing 36 further has a channel connecting the outflow port 38 and the discharge port 50a of the nozzle 50, and a suction channel 40 for flowing the liquid from the container 3 into the pump chamber P. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the outflow port 38 is an opening that serves as a boundary between the pump chamber P and a pump chamber-side flow path 42 described later. It is configured to allow Specifically, the liquid between the lid 32 and the recess 34 is caused to flow out toward the pump chamber side channel 42 .

Outflow port 38 is formed in the middle or upper portion of pump chamber P. As shown in FIG. Specifically, the height of the outflow port 38 in the vertical direction when the mounting portion 20 is mounted on the container 3 is, as shown in FIGS. It is located above the centroid position X of the surface 32a. The height of the outlet 38 in the vertical direction is preferably higher than the centroid position X of the pressing surface 32a, more preferably at the same position as the upper end of the pressing surface 32a, and higher than the upper end of the pressing surface 32a. More preferably, it is positioned upward. Here, the “height of the outlet 38 in the vertical direction” means the height of the outlet 38 in the vertical direction when the mounting portion 20 is attached to the container 3 and the container 3 is placed on the mounting surface. 4, and refers to the position where the reference numeral 38 is swung in FIG. Further, the “centroid” means the center of gravity in a state in which the pressing surface 32a is viewed from the direction facing the pressing surface 32a (that is, the plane figure of the pressing surface 32a). In this embodiment, since the plane figure of the pressing surface 32a is a perfect circle, the center of the pressing surface 32a is the centroid.

As shown in FIG. 4, the outflow port 38 is located at the centroid position relative to the length L along the vertical direction from the centroid position X to the upper end of the pressing surface 32a in the longitudinal section of the lid body 32 passing through the centroid position X. The ratio of the length l along the vertical direction from X to the outlet 38 is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 80% or more, more preferably 100% or more, from the viewpoint of completely discharging air from the pump chamber P. is more preferable.

As shown in FIG. 3, the flow path is formed by a nozzle flow path 52 and a pump chamber side flow path 42, which will be described later. The pump chamber side channel 42 refers to a channel from the outflow port 38 to the nozzle lower end portion 54 of the nozzle 50 and communicates with the nozzle channel 52 of the nozzle 50 . A discharge valve 44 is provided between the pump chamber side channel 42 , that is, the outlet 38 and the nozzle lower end portion 54 . The discharge valve 44 is a check valve configured to allow the liquid to flow in the direction from the pump chamber P toward the nozzle 50 and restrict the liquid to flow in the opposite direction. Note that the discharge valve 44 is not limited to this, and various known check valves can be employed.

At least a portion of the channel extends upward. In this embodiment, the pump chamber side channel 42 entirely extends upward from the outlet 38 toward the nozzle lower end portion 54, and the nozzle channel 52 partially extends upward. Later, it has a curved shape extending horizontally toward the discharge direction.

The suction passage 40 is configured to allow liquid to flow into the pump chamber P from the container 3 . Specifically, the suction path 40 communicates with the dip tube 26 and causes the liquid from the dip tube 26 to flow into the pump chamber P. In this embodiment, the pump chamber side flow path 42 and the suction path 40 are arranged in series so that their respective centers are located on the same straight line. Specifically, the pump chamber side passage 42 and the suction passage 40 are arranged to face each other with the pump chamber P interposed therebetween.

[nozzle]
As shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle 50 extends upward from the casing 36, bends forward from the upper end, and extends substantially horizontally. The nozzle 50 is configured to discharge liquid pumped by the pump 30 . Specifically, the nozzle 50 includes a nozzle flow path 52 formed so as to pass through the nozzle 50, and a discharge port 50a communicating with one end of the nozzle flow path 52, and is opposite to the discharge port 50a. is connected to casing 36 . The nozzle 50 is not limited to the illustrated shape and structure, and various arbitrary nozzles can be adopted.

[Operation lever]
The operating lever 60 is configured to be able to press the pressing surface 32a of the pump 30, as shown in FIG. Specifically, a lever main body 62 whose base end is swingably supported by the casing 36 so as to extend from the upper end of the casing 36 toward the container 3 side; and a pressing portion 64 formed to protrude toward the surface 32a.

The base end portion of the lever body 62 is attached to the upper end portion of the casing 36 of the body portion 10 so as to be able to swing, and the lever body 62 is provided to hang downward (toward the container 3 side) so as to face the casing 36 and the mounting cap 22 . It is In this embodiment, the lever main body 62 is provided so as to hang down on the side where the nozzle 50 extends (discharge direction side).

As shown in FIG. 3, the pressing portion 64 is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape with a size capable of pressing the pressing surface 32a of the pump 30, and is arranged to face the pressing surface 32a of the pump 30. there is Specifically, the pressing portion 64 is configured to compress the pump chamber P by pressing the pressing surface 32a by a pressing operation. For example, a synthetic resin or the like is used as the material of the pressing portion 64 . Synthetic resins such as PP (polypropylene) and PE (polyethylene) can be preferably used, but are not limited to these. It should be noted that the pressing portion 64 is not limited to being provided integrally with the lever body 62 , and may be a separate member that can be retrofitted to the lever body 62 .

[Operation of pump dispenser according to the present embodiment]
With the above configuration, the pump dispenser 1 according to the present embodiment is pulled so that the operating lever 60 approaches the main body 10 (pressing operation), and the pressing portion 64 of the operating lever 60 pushes the cover 32. When the pressing surface 32a is pressed, the liquid in the pump chamber P is pressurized, and the pressurized pressure presses the suction valve 28 against the valve seat to maintain the closed state, while opening the discharge valve 44 away from the valve seat. It is possible to discharge the liquid in the pump chamber P to the outside from the discharge port 50a through the pump chamber side flow path 42 and the nozzle flow path 52 by displacing the state.

In addition, in the pump dispenser 1 according to the present embodiment, when the operation lever 60 is released after the liquid is discharged, the cover 32 and the operation lever 60 are pushed back forward by the biasing force of the coil spring 46. becomes a negative pressure, and the suction valve 28 is moved away from the valve seat by the negative pressure to open, while the discharge valve 44 is pressed against the valve seat to be closed. can be made to flow into the pump chamber P via the . By repeatedly pulling and releasing the operation lever 60 in this manner, the liquid in the container 3 can be continuously discharged from the nozzle 50 .

[Advantages of the pump dispenser according to the present embodiment]
As described above, the pump dispenser 1 according to the present embodiment has a body portion 10 having a pump 30 capable of sucking and pumping liquid, and a discharge port 50a capable of discharging the liquid pumped by the pump 30. A pump dispenser 1 including a nozzle 50, wherein the body portion 10 includes a mounting portion 20 that can be mounted on a container 3 that can be mounted on a mounting surface, and the pump 30 includes a pressing surface 32a that can be pressed and a pressing surface 32a. It has a pump chamber P that can be expanded or contracted by pressing the surface 32a, and an outflow port 38 that allows the liquid inside the pump chamber P to flow out toward the nozzle 50 by pressing the surface 32a. is provided in the horizontal direction when the mounting portion 20 is mounted on the container 3, and the vertical height of the outflow port 38 when the mounting portion 20 is mounted on the container 3 is equal to that of the pressing surface 32a. It is positioned at the same position as the centroid position X or above the centroid position X of the pressing surface 32a.

According to the pump dispenser 1 having such a configuration, since the outflow port 38 of the pump 30 is located at the same position as or above the centroid position X of the pressing surface 32a, the air in the pump chamber P is It is possible to prevent stagnation and prevent air entrainment. Further, even if air remains, when the pressing surface 32a is pressed by the pressing operation, the air accumulated in the pump chamber P can be pushed out from the outflow port 38 before the liquid. prevent mixing.

In addition, in the pump dispenser 1 according to this embodiment, the vertical height of the outflow port 38 in the state where the mounting portion 20 is mounted on the container 3 is located above the centroid position X of the pressing surface 32a. According to such a configuration, it is possible to more reliably prevent air from remaining in the pump chamber P, so that it is possible to further prevent air entrainment.

Furthermore, in the pump dispenser 1 according to the present embodiment, the body portion 10 includes a channel connecting the outflow port 38 and the discharge port 50a of the nozzle 50, and at least a portion of the channel extends upward. there is According to such a configuration, the air in the pump chamber P can easily escape upward, so that it is possible to further prevent air entrapment.

Moreover, in the pump dispenser 1 according to the present embodiment, the pressing surface 32a is provided facing the discharge direction of the discharge port 50a, so there is an advantage that the same usage as the existing trigger-type pump dispenser is possible.

Furthermore, the pump dispenser 1 according to the present embodiment further includes an operation lever 60 capable of pressing the pressing surface 32a of the pump 30, so that it can be used with one hand when attached to the container 3. , can improve convenience.

Further, in the pump dispenser 1 according to the present embodiment, the body portion 10 further includes a dip tube 26 that supplies liquid from the container 3 to the pump chamber P, so that the liquid in the container 3 used in an upright state can be dispensed. can be more reliably sucked into the pump chamber P against gravity.

[Modification]
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above-described embodiments. Various changes or improvements can be added to the above embodiments.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the body portion 10' may be configured to include a projecting portion 12'. Specifically, the main body portion 10' is provided with a protruding portion 12' that protrudes to the side opposite to the side on which the operation lever 60 is provided. The protruding portion 12' is formed, for example, in a triangular shape, but it is not limited to this, and various arbitrary shapes can be adopted. According to the pump dispenser 1' according to such a modified example, when the user grips the pump dispenser 1', the projecting portion 12' is formed between the base of the thumb and the base of the index finger on the back side of the user's hand. is placed thereon, the pump dispenser 1' can be stably gripped, and the liquid discharge direction can be stabilized. In particular, when the liquid is discharged outward (toward the side opposite to the user), it becomes easier to hold the pump dispenser 1', so convenience can be improved.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the pressing surface 32a is provided facing the ejection direction of the ejection port 50a, but the present invention is not limited to this. may be provided in a direction opposite to the ejection direction of the ejection port 50a. Specifically, the lid 32 ″ is provided behind the main body 10 ″, and the operation lever 60 ″ is located on the side opposite to the direction in which the nozzle 50 extends (opposite to the discharge direction). 62'' is suspended, and the pressing surface 32a'' of the lid 32'' and the pressing portion 64'' of the operating lever 60'' are arranged to face each other. According to the pump dispenser 1'' according to such a modified example, there is an advantage that it can be discharged to the user's own hair and face in the same holding manner as the existing trigger-type pump dispenser.

Furthermore, although the pump dispensers 1, 1', 1'' have the operation levers 60, 60'' in the above-described embodiment and modification, the operation levers 60, 60'' are not limited to this. , the user's finger may directly press the pressing surfaces 32a, 32a''.

It is clear from the description of the scope of claims that modifications such as those described above are included in the scope of the present invention.

1, 1', 1'': Pump dispenser 3: Container 4: Mouth 10, 10', 10'': Main body 12': Protruding part 20: Mounting part 22: Mounting cap 24a: Inner cylinder 24b: Outer cylinder 26: Dip tube 28: Suction valve 30: Pump 32, 32': Lid 32a, 32a': Pressing surface 34: Recess 34a: Opening 36: Casing 38: Outlet 40: Suction path 42: Pump chamber side flow path 44: Discharge valve 46: Coil spring 50: Nozzle 50a: Discharge port 52: Nozzle flow path 54: Nozzle lower end 60, 60'': Operation lever 62, 62'': Lever body 64, 64'': Pressing part

Claims (7)

A pump dispenser comprising a main body having a pump capable of sucking and pumping a liquid, and a nozzle having a discharge port capable of discharging the liquid pumped by the pump,
The main body includes a mounting portion that can be mounted on a container that can be mounted on the mounting surface,
The pump is
a pressable pressing surface;
a pump chamber that can be expanded or contracted by pressing the pressing surface;
an outflow port for causing the liquid inside the pump chamber to flow out toward the nozzle by the pressing operation,
The pressing surface is provided in a horizontal direction in a state in which the mounting portion is mounted on the container,
The pump dispenser, wherein the vertical height of the outflow port in the state where the mounting part is mounted on the container is at the same position as the centroid position of the pressing surface or above the centroid position of the pressing surface. 2. The pump dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the vertical height of the outflow port in a state where the mounting portion is mounted on the container is located above the centroid position of the pressing surface. the main body includes a flow path connecting the outlet and the outlet of the nozzle;
3. The pump dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the channel extends at least partially upward. The pump dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pressing surface is provided facing the discharge direction of the discharge port. The pump dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pressing surface is provided in a direction opposite to the discharge direction of the discharge port. The pump dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an operating lever capable of pressing the pressing surface of the pump. The pump dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the main body further comprises a dip tube that supplies liquid from the container to the pump chamber.

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