JP4828324B2 - Liquid ejection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejection device that is attached to a container body that contains a liquid and that discharges the liquid contained in the container body.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid contained in a container body from the tip of a nozzle by pushing down a nozzle head (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). This liquid discharge device is called a pump dispenser, and is attached to the mouth and neck of a container body containing a liquid such as shampoo, rinse, liquid soap, etc. Used as a liquid discharge container).

Here, the pump dispenser 100 shown in FIG. 4 is demonstrated as an example of the conventional liquid discharge apparatus. 4, (a) is a longitudinal sectional view showing a part of the fixed state before use of the pump dispenser 100, and (b) is a state in which the fixed state of the pump dispenser 100 is released. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4A, the pump dispenser 100 includes a mounting cap 101 that is detachably mounted on the mouth and neck (not shown) of the container body by screwing, and a bottom surface of the mounting cap 101. At the same time, the cylinder 102 filled with the liquid sucked from the container body and the upper surface of the mounting cap 101 and the inner cylindrical portion 103a penetrating the mounting cap 101 are fitted inside the cylinder 102. In this state, the support cap 103 that rotatably supports the mounting cap 101 sandwiched between the cylinder 102 and the inner cylinder portion 103a are inserted into the cylinder 102 and can be moved in the vertical direction while being inserted into the cylinder 102. And a coil spring that is disposed in a compressed state in the cylinder 102 and biases the stem 104 upward. 05 and a nozzle head 106 provided with a nozzle 106a for discharging liquid and attached to the upper end portion of the stem 104, and attached to the lower end portion of the stem 104 so as to be in sliding contact with the inner surface of the cylinder 102, A piston 107 that pumps pressurized liquid to the nozzle head 106 side through the stem 104 is provided.

  In addition, a valve body 102b that opens and closes a suction port 102a that sucks the liquid contained in the container body is provided at the lower end of the cylinder 102. Further, a suction pipe 108 for sucking the liquid stored in the container main body is suspended from the lower end portion of the cylinder 102. On the other hand, a vent hole 109 for introducing air into the inside of the container body is provided on the side surface portion on the upper side of the cylinder 102. In the state where the nozzle head 106 is pushed down before use, the male screw portion 106b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower end portion is screwed into the female screw portion 103b formed on the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion 103a. As a result, it is fixed to the support cylinder 103.

In the pump dispenser 100 having the above-described structure, the screw engagement of the nozzle head 106 with respect to the inner cylinder portion 103a is released from the state shown in FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4B, the stem 104 is urged upward by the coil spring 105 to stand. From this state, the liquid stored in the container body can be discharged from the tip of the nozzle 106a by pressing down the stem 104 against the bias of the coil spring 105 while pressing the nozzle head 106. On the other hand, when the pressed nozzle head 106 is lifted together with the stem 104 by releasing the pressure on the nozzle head 106, the cylinder 102 is removed from the gap S ′ formed between the inner cylinder portion 103a and the stem 104. External air is introduced into the container main body through the vent hole 109.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-95668 JP-A-10-180154 Japanese Patent No. 3614593

  By the way, in the above-described conventional pump dispenser 100, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the screwing of the nozzle head 106 to the inner cylinder portion 103a is released and the nozzle head 106 rises integrally with the stem 104, In some cases, the liquid L jumps out of the gap S ′ between the inner cylinder portion 103 a and the stem 104.

  Specifically, in the conventional pump dispenser 100, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the liquid L contained in the container main body is transferred to the cylinder due to vibrations received by the container main body in the production process or distribution process, rollover of the container main body, and the like. 102 may enter the gap S ′ between the inner cylindrical portion 103 a and the stem 104 through the vent hole 109. Most of the liquid L that has entered the gap S ′ is returned to the inside of the container main body through the vent hole 109 when the stem 104 is raised. Instead, as shown in FIG. 4B, a part of the liquid L sometimes jumps out of the gap S ′ together with the rising stem 104.

  Therefore, the present invention has been proposed in view of such a conventional situation, and provides a liquid ejection device that can reliably prevent liquid from jumping out from a gap through which external air is introduced. Objective.

In order to achieve this object, the invention according to claim 1 is a liquid ejection device that is attached to a mouth-neck portion of a container body and ejects a liquid contained in the container body. A mounting cap that is detachably mounted on the neck by screwing, a cylinder that is suspended from the lower surface of the mounting cap and filled with liquid sucked from the container body, and an upper surface of the mounting cap. A support cylinder that rotatably supports the mounting cap sandwiched between the cylinder and an inner cylinder that is fitted inside the cylinder, and an inner cylinder that penetrates the mounting cap. And a stem that is inserted into the cylinder and supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction while being inserted into the cylinder, and a bar that is disposed in the cylinder and biases the stem upward. And a nozzle head that is attached to the upper end of the stem and is provided with a nozzle for discharging the liquid, and is attached to the lower end of the stem and pressurizes in the cylinder while being in sliding contact with the inner surface of the cylinder. And a piston for pumping the liquid to the nozzle head side through the stem, and a vent hole penetrating the inner cylinder part and the side surface part of the cylinder from a gap formed between the inner cylinder part and the stem. Through which external air can be introduced into the inside of the container body, and the inner cylinder when the nozzle head is pushed down and fixed to the support cylinder by screwing onto the outer periphery of the stem. An upper seal portion that enters the gap from above the portion and closes the vent hole is provided.
Further, in the invention according to claim 2, when the screwing of the nozzle head to the support cylinder is released on the outer peripheral part of the stem and the stem is in an upright state, a lower part of the inner cylinder part is provided. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lower seal portion that enters the gap from a side and closes the vent hole.
Further, the invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the upper seal portion and / or the lower seal portion is formed of a portion whose diameter is larger than a portion inserted through the inner cylindrical portion of the stem. The liquid ejection device according to claim 1 or 2.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the nozzle head is formed by screwing a male screw portion formed at a lower end portion of the nozzle head and a female screw portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid ejection apparatus is capable of being fixed to the support cylinder.

  As described above, in the liquid ejection device according to the present invention, when the nozzle head is pushed down and fixed to the support cylinder by screwing, the upper seal portion that has entered the gap between the inner cylinder portion and the stem passes through. By closing the pores, the liquid accommodated in the container body is prevented from entering the gap between the inner cylinder portion and the stem through the vent holes. Thereby, in the liquid ejection device according to the present invention, when the screwing of the nozzle head to the support cylinder is released and the nozzle head rises integrally with the stem, the liquid is discharged from the gap between the inner cylinder portion and the stem. Jumping out can be surely prevented.

Hereinafter, a liquid ejection apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The liquid discharge apparatus to which the present invention is applied is, for example, a pump dispenser 1 shown in FIGS. The pump dispenser 1 is mounted on a mouth and neck portion (not shown) of a container main body that stores liquid, and discharges the liquid stored in the container main body. The pump dispenser 1 is attached to the pump dispenser 1. A so-called vertical manual-type container with a pump (liquid discharge container) is constituted by the container body.

  Specifically, the pump dispenser 1 is detachably attached to the container body via an attachment cap 2 that is attached to the mouth and neck of the container body by screwing. The mounting cap 2 has a screw portion 2a formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof and a circular opening 2b formed in the center of the ceiling portion. The mounting cap 2 is detachably mounted on the mouth and neck portion of the container body by screwing the screw portion 2a with a screw portion (not shown) formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth and neck portion. Is possible.

  The pump dispenser 1 is suspended from the lower surface of the mounting cap 2 and is filled with the liquid sucked from the container body, and the inner cylinder is disposed on the upper surface of the mounting cap 2 and penetrates the opening 2b. In a state where the portion 4 a is fitted inside the cylinder 3, the support cylinder 4 that rotatably supports the mounting cap 2 sandwiched between the cylinder 3 and the inner cylinder portion 4 a are inserted into the cylinder 3. A stem 5 that is inserted into the cylinder 3 so as to be movable in the vertical direction; a coil spring 6 that is compressed in the cylinder 3 and biases the stem 5 upward; Attached to the upper end, a nozzle head 7 provided with a nozzle 7 a for discharging liquid, and attached to the lower end of the stem 5, are slidably in contact with the inner surface of the cylinder 3 and inside the cylinder 3. It includes a piston 8 for pumping to the nozzle head 7 side pressurized fluid through the stem 5.

  The cylinder 3 forms a pump chamber P filled with the liquid sucked from the container main body, and has a suction port 3a for sucking the liquid stored in the container main body at the lower end thereof, and the suction port 3a. And a spherical valve body 3b for opening and closing. The valve body 3b opens the suction port a only when a negative pressure is generated in the cylinder 3 by the expansion operation of the pump chamber P. Further, a suction pipe 9 for sucking the liquid accommodated in the container body is suspended from the lower end portion of the cylinder 3. On the other hand, a vent hole 10 is provided on the upper side of the cylinder 3 for introducing air into the container body. At least one vent hole 10 is provided in a state of penetrating the inner cylinder portion 4 a and the side surface portion of the cylinder 3.

  At the lower end portion of the stem 5, a flange portion 5 a protruding in the direction of expanding the diameter is provided. The stem 5 inserted through the inner cylinder part 4a is prevented from coming off from the inner cylinder part 4a by the flange part 5a coming into contact with the lower end part of the inner cylinder part 4a. The coil spring 6 is arranged in a compressed state between the bottom portion in the cylinder 3 and the bottom portion of the piston 8, thereby urging the stem 5 upward.

  The nozzle head 7 is attached to the upper end portion of the stem 5 by driving and fitting the upper end portion of the stem 5 into a cylindrical portion 7b provided at the lower end portion thereof. In addition, a flow path 7c that guides liquid from the stem 5 to the nozzle 7a is provided inside the nozzle head 7. The nozzle 7a has an elongated shape that extends in a substantially horizontal direction from the side surface of the nozzle head 7 and has a tip that is slightly bent downward. As shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle head 7 has a male screw portion 7d formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 7b on the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 4a while being pushed down before use. It is fixed to the support cylinder 4 by being screwed into the female screw part 4b.

  The piston 8 has a bottomed cylindrical piston head 11 that forms a flow path 11 a continuous with the stem 5 by being inserted into the lower end portion of the stem 5. A discharge port 11 b for discharging the liquid pressurized in the cylinder 3 is provided on the side surface of the piston head 11. A piston ring 12 that opens and closes the discharge port 11b is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the piston head 11 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction while being in sliding contact with the inner surface of the cylinder 3. The piston ring 12 opens the discharge port 11b only when the inside of the cylinder 3 is pressurized by the compression operation of the pump chamber P.

  In the pump dispenser 1 having the above-described structure, the male screw portion 7d and the inner cylindrical portion 4a of the cylindrical portion 7b are rotated from the fixed state before use shown in FIG. The threaded engagement with the female threaded portion 4b is released. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle head 7 rises integrally with the stem 5, and finally the stem 5 stands up as shown in FIG.

  In the pump dispenser 1, the piston 8 is lowered by pressing down the stem 5 against the bias of the coil spring 6 while pressing the nozzle head 7 from this state, the pump chamber P is compressed, and the cylinder 3 is compressed. The liquid filled inside is pressurized. At this time, the liquid pressurized in the cylinder 3 is pumped to the nozzle head 7 side through the discharge port 11b, the flow path 11a and the stem 5 of the piston head 11, and is discharged from the tip of the nozzle 7a. .

  On the other hand, in this pump dispenser 1, the pressed nozzle head 7 rises integrally with the stem 5 by releasing the pressure on the nozzle head 7. At this time, the pump chamber P is expanded by the ascent of the piston 8, and the valve body 3b opens the suction port 3a by the negative pressure generated in the cylinder 3. Thereby, the liquid accommodated in the container main body is sucked from the suction pipe 9 and filled in the cylinder 3 again. At this time, as the liquid in the container main body decreases, external air is introduced into the container main body through the vent hole 10 from the gap S formed between the inner cylinder portion 4a and the stem 5. Will be.

  Incidentally, the pump dispenser 1 to which the present invention is applied passes through the state shown in FIG. 1 described above, that is, when the nozzle head 7 is pushed down and the male screw portion 7d is fixed to the female screw portion 4b by screwing. An upper seal portion 13 that closes the pores 10 is provided. Specifically, the upper seal portion 13 is formed from a portion where the cylindrical portion 7b located at the upper end portion of the stem 5 has a larger diameter than the portion inserted through the inner cylindrical portion 4a of the stem 5 (expanded portion). Become. When the nozzle head 7 is pushed down, the upper seal portion 13 enters the gap S from above the inner cylinder portion 4a and closes the vent hole 10 while sliding on the inner surface of the inner cylinder portion 4a. It is possible to enter.

  In the pump dispenser 1 to which the present invention is applied, by providing the upper seal portion 13 as described above, the vent hole 10 is closed and accommodated in the container main body in the fixed state before use shown in FIG. 1 described above. It is possible to prevent liquid from entering the gap S between the inner cylindrical portion 4a and the stem 5 through the vent hole 10. Therefore, in this pump dispenser 1, when the screwing of the male screw portion 7 d and the female screw portion 4 b is released and the nozzle head 7 rises integrally with the stem 5, the gap between the inner cylinder portion 4 a and the stem 5 is increased. It is possible to reliably prevent the liquid from jumping out from the gap S.

  Moreover, in the pump dispenser 1 to which the present invention is applied, when the state shown in FIG. 3 described above, that is, when the screwing of the male screw portion 7d and the female screw portion 4b is released, the stem 5 is in a standing state. The lower seal portion 14 that closes the vent hole 10 may be provided.

  Specifically, the lower seal portion 14 is composed of a portion (a diameter-enlarged portion) in which the outer peripheral portion on the lower side of the stem 5 has a larger diameter than the portion inserted through the inner cylinder portion 4 a of the stem 5. When the nozzle head 7 is raised, the lower seal portion 14 enters the gap S from the lower side of the inner cylinder portion 4a, and closes the vent hole 10 while sliding on the inner surface of the inner cylinder portion 4a. It is possible to enter to the position.

  In the pump dispenser 1 to which the present invention is applied, by providing the lower seal portion 14 as described above, the vent hole 10 is closed even when the stem 5 shown in FIG. It is possible to reliably prevent the stored liquid from entering the gap S between the inner cylinder portion 4 a and the stem 5 through the vent hole 10.

In addition, this invention is not necessarily limited to the thing of the said embodiment, A various change can be added in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention.
For example, the pump dispenser 1 has a configuration in which the male threaded portion 7d of the cylindrical portion 7b and the female threaded portion 4b of the inner cylindrical portion 4a are screwed together. The thread part formed in the back side of the nozzle head 7 corresponding to this may be screwed together in the thread part formed in the outer peripheral part.
In the case where the male screw portion 7d of the cylindrical portion 7b and the female screw portion 4b of the inner cylinder portion 4a are screwed together, the gap S between the inner cylinder portion 4a and the stem 5 is increased. Therefore, the present invention is a very effective means for preventing the liquid from jumping out from the gap S.

The liquid contained in the container body is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include shampoo, rinse, treatment, liquid soap, cosmetic liquid, cleaning agent, liquid detergent, softener, and liquid toothpaste. be able to.
Note that the lower the viscosity of these liquids, the more likely the liquid will be ejected from the gap S between the inner cylinder portion 4a and the stem 5 described above, so the present invention is a very effective means.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fixed state before use of a liquid ejection apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state where the stem is lifted by releasing the fixed state of the liquid ejection device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the stem of the liquid ejection apparatus shown in FIG. 4A and 4B show a conventional liquid ejection device, wherein FIG. 4A is a longitudinal sectional view showing a partially fixed state before use, and FIG. 4B shows a state in which the fixed state is released. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Pump dispenser (liquid discharge apparatus) 2 ... Mounting cap 3 ... Cylinder 4 ... Supporting cylinder 4a ... Inner cylinder part 5 ... Stem 6 ... Coil spring 7 ... Nozzle head 7a ... Nozzle 8 ... Piston 10 ... Vent hole 11 ... Piston head 12 ... Piston ring 13 ... Upper seal part 14 ... Lower seal part

Claims (4)

A liquid ejection device attached to the mouth and neck of the container body and ejecting the liquid contained in the container body,
A mounting cap that is detachably mounted to the mouth and neck of the container body by screwing;
A cylinder that is suspended from the lower surface of the mounting cap and filled with the liquid sucked from the container body;
The mounting cap is disposed on the upper surface of the mounting cap and rotatably supports the mounting cap sandwiched between the cylinder and an inner cylinder portion that penetrates the mounting cap being fitted inside the cylinder. A supporting cylinder to
A stem that is inserted through the inner cylinder portion and supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction while being inserted into the cylinder;
A spring disposed in the cylinder and biasing the stem upward;
A nozzle head attached to the upper end of the stem and provided with a nozzle for discharging the liquid;
A piston that is attached to the lower end of the stem and that pumps the liquid pressurized in the cylinder while sliding on the inner surface of the cylinder to the nozzle head side through the stem;
External air can be introduced into the inside of the container body through the air hole penetrating the inner cylinder part and the side surface part of the cylinder from the gap formed between the inner cylinder part and the stem,
On the outer periphery of the stem, when the nozzle head is pushed down and fixed to the support cylinder by screwing, an upper seal that enters the gap from above the inner cylinder and closes the vent hole A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a portion.   The outer periphery of the stem enters the gap from the lower side of the inner cylinder portion when the screwing of the nozzle head to the support cylinder is released and the stem is in an upright state. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lower seal portion that closes the pores.   3. The liquid according to claim 1, wherein the upper seal portion and / or the lower seal portion includes a portion having a diameter larger than a portion inserted through the inner tube portion of the stem. Discharge device.   The nozzle head can be fixed to the support cylinder by screwing a male screw part formed at the lower end part of the nozzle head and a female screw part formed on the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder part. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid ejecting apparatus is a liquid ejecting apparatus.

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