JP4851883B2 - Foam dispenser - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a foam dispenser.

  As a foam dispenser for detergents, etc., as described in Patent Document 1, it has a head that can be reciprocated with respect to a cap fixed to the mouth of the container body, and the volume can be changed by reciprocating the head. The content liquid from the liquid chamber and air from the variable volume air chamber are respectively sent to the foam generation unit, the content liquid and air are mixed and foamed in the foam generation unit, and the generated foam is discharged from the discharge port provided in the head. There is something to discharge. In this foam discharger, an air suction path that leads to the air chamber is formed between the head and the cap.

And in the foam discharger of patent document 1, the space | gap used as the air suction path of a head and a cap is maintained to a very small minute gap, the permeation of the external water to an air chamber is prevented, and foam is produced | generated from an air chamber by extension. As a result, the content liquid and the air are always mixed at a constant ratio in the bubble generation unit, and the bubble-generated content liquid can be stably discharged.
JP2004-121898

  In the foam discharger of Patent Document 1, an air discharge port from the air chamber to the foam generation unit is arranged in the upper part of the air chamber. Despite the miniaturization of the gap between the head and the cap, the water that has entered the air chamber stays without being discharged from the upper discharge port, and this water may rot.

  An object of the present invention is to prevent water from staying in an air chamber in a foam discharger.

The invention of claim 1 has a head portion that is reciprocally movable with respect to a cap fixed to the mouth portion of the container main body. A foam discharger that sends air from a variable air chamber to each foam generation unit, mixes and foams the content liquid and air in the foam generation unit, and discharges the generated foam from a discharge port provided in the head, An air piston that reciprocates in the air chamber in conjunction with the reciprocating motion of the head is provided, the outside air is sucked into the air chamber expanded by the air piston, and the air in the air chamber contracted by the air piston is bubbled An air discharge port from the air chamber to the bubble generating portion is provided near the bottom of the air chamber, and an air piston is fitted to the outer periphery of the piston guide fixed to the head, and the outer periphery of the piston guide and the air piston An air discharge path is provided between the inner periphery of the The lower end of the piston guide and the lower end of the air piston form an on-off valve that opens and closes the air outlet, and the on-off valve airs the lower end of the piston guide that moves down with the head when the head moves down. Open the air discharge port between the lower ends of the pistons that are separated from the lower ends of the pistons, and the lower end of the piston guide that moves up with the heads when the heads are moved up against the lower ends of the air pistons. The air outlet is closed .

  As shown in FIG. 1, the foam discharger 10 fixes the mounting portion 20 </ b> A of the cap 20 to the mouth portion 1 </ b> A of the container body 1 in which the content liquid such as a detergent is accommodated. The upper end portion of the large diameter portion 30A of the cylinder 30 is abutted against the inner portion of the attachment portion 20A of the cap 20, and the inner portion of the attachment portion 20A of the cap 20 and the container body together with the packing 31 at the upper end portion of the large diameter portion 30A. It is pinched and fixed between the 1 mouth part 1A. The cylinder 30 has a small diameter portion 30B connected to the large diameter portion 30A. A dip tube 32 is fitted into the small diameter portion 30B, and the dip tube 32 is inserted into the container body 1. The cylinder 30 forms an air chamber A inside the large diameter portion 30A, and forms a liquid chamber L inside the small diameter portion 30B. A stem 41 of the head 40 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 20B of the cap 20 so as to reciprocate in the vertical direction. The foam discharger 10 reciprocates the head 40 to generate the later-described foam generation in which the content liquid is supplied from the variable volume liquid chamber L and the air is supplied from the variable volume empty chamber A, respectively. The part 80 is mixed and foamed, and the generated foam is discharged from the discharge port 42 provided in the head 40.

  The foam discharger 10 has a hollow piston guide 51 fitted and fixed in the lower end hollow portion of the stem 41 communicating with the discharge port 42 of the head 40, and a hollow piston 52 is fitted and fixed in the lower end hollow portion of the piston guide 51. 52 is slidably inserted into the small diameter portion 30B of the cylinder 30, and a compression coil spring 53 is interposed between the lower end side spring receiving portion 33 of the small diameter portion 30B and the piston 52. The bubble discharger 10 uses a hollow portion of the piston guide 51 and the piston 52 as a liquid discharge passage 54 extending from the liquid chamber L, and an upper end side valve seat 51 </ b> A is provided at an upper end portion of the liquid discharge passage 54 in the piston guide 51. The ball valve 55 that is opened by the pressure from the liquid discharge passage 54 is placed in close contact with the valve seat 51A.

  The foam discharger 10 includes a poppet 60 extending along the small diameter portion 30 </ b> B to the piston guide 51 and the piston 52 of the cylinder 30, and the upper end portion 61 of the poppet 60 is frictionally fitted to the inner periphery of the piston guide 51 and the piston 52. In combination, the lower end valve 62 of the poppet 60 is disposed in close contact with the lower end side valve seat 34 of the small diameter portion 30 </ b> B, and the liquid chamber L is opened and closed with respect to the inside of the container body 1. The liquid discharge path 54 is formed between the outer peripheral groove of the poppet 60 and the inner periphery of the piston 52 and further between the inner peripheral groove of the piston guide 51. A part of the lower end side of the poppet 60 extends to the center of the coil spring 53.

  The foam discharger 10 has a piston guide 51 and a piston 52 that move up and down in the liquid chamber L in conjunction with the up and down reciprocation of the head 40, and the lower end valve 62 of the poppet 60 is connected to the piston guide 51 and the piston 52. The liquid in the container body 1 is sucked into the liquid chamber L which is separated from the valve seat 34 in conjunction with the upward movement and is expanded by the upward movement of the piston 52, and the lower end valve 62 of the poppet 60 is connected to the piston guide 51 and the piston 52. The liquid in the liquid chamber L that is in contact with the valve seat 34 in conjunction with the downward movement and contracted by the downward movement of the piston 52 is foamed later from a ball valve 55 opened away from the valve seat 51A from the liquid discharge passage 54. Discharge to the generation unit 80.

  The bubble discharger 10 loosely inserts the hollow cylindrical portion 70 </ b> A of the air piston 70 into the outer periphery of the piston guide 51, and slidably inserts the outer peripheral piston portion 70 </ b> B of the air piston 70 into the large diameter portion 30 </ b> A of the cylinder 30. In the present embodiment, the air piston 70 can be slightly moved up and down along the outer periphery of the piston guide 51, and an air discharge port 73A described later can be formed between the lower ends thereof.

  The foam discharger 10 extends an air suction path 71 into the stem 41 of the head 40, opens an external intake port 71 </ b> A of the air suction path 71 near the upper end of the head 40 on the outer surface of the stem 41, and The passage 71 can be communicated with the air chamber A through a hole 71B provided in the end face of the piston portion 70B of the air piston 70 and a suction check valve 72 fixed to the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 70A.

  The foam discharger 10 is an air discharge path that extends between the outer peripheral groove of the piston guide 51 and the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion 70A of the air piston 70, and further between the outer periphery of the piston guide 51 and the inner peripheral groove of the stem 41. 73, and the lower end of the piston guide 51 and the lower end of the air piston 70 form an on-off valve 74 that opens and closes the air discharge port 73A. The on-off valve 74 separates the lower end of the piston guide 51 that moves downward together with the head 40 when the head 40 is moved downward from the lower end of the air piston 70 and opens the air discharge port 73A between the lower ends (FIG. 3). When the head 40 moves up, the lower end of the piston guide 51 that moves up with the head 40 is brought into contact with the lower end of the air piston 70 to close the air discharge port 73A between the lower ends (FIG. 4).

  The head 40 suspends the cylindrical cover 75, surrounds the upper region of the stem 41 and the cylindrical portion 20 </ b> B of the cap 20 with the cover 75, and forms a minute gap around the cylindrical portion 20 </ b> B of the cap 20 with the lower end of the cover 75. Form. The cover 75 makes it difficult for external water to enter the external intake port 71A.

  That is, the foam discharger 10 has an air piston 70 that moves up and down in the air chamber A in conjunction with the up and down reciprocation of the head 40, and is external to the air chamber A that is expanded by the upward movement of the air piston 70. The air in the air chamber A that is contracted by the downward movement of the air piston 70 is discharged to the foam generating unit 80 described later.

  The foam discharger 10 includes a foam generation unit 80 at the discharge port 42 of the head 40. The foam generation unit 80 mixes and foams air and foam by a jet ring 81 provided in the meeting region of the liquid discharge path 54 and the air discharge path 73 (immediately above the ball valve 55). Fine bubbles are generated by passing the mesh 82A attached to the arranged mesh ring 82 and can be discharged from the discharge port 42.

  However, in the foam discharger 10, the air discharge port 73 </ b> A from the air chamber A is provided near the bottom of the air chamber A in order to prevent water from staying in the air chamber A formed by the large-diameter portion 30 </ b> A of the cylinder 30. More preferably, it is provided at a level below the bottom B of the air chamber A. Further, it is assumed that the bottom B of the air chamber A has a downward slope toward the air discharge port 73A, for example, a conical surface having a downward slope toward the piston guide 51 with the piston guide 51 as a central axis. In this embodiment, when the air piston 70 starts to start discharging air from the air chamber A (FIG. 2), the air discharge port 73A formed by the lower end of the piston guide 51 and the lower end of the air piston 70 is defined as the air chamber A. When the piston guide 51 and the lower end of the air piston 70 are loosely inserted into the small diameter portion 30B of the cylinder 30 in the downward movement process of the air piston 70, the air discharge port 73A is moved from the bottom of the air chamber A. It shall be located in the lower level in the small diameter part 30B.

  The bubble discharger 10 uses the gap between the cylinder portion 20B of the cap 20 and the stem 41 of the head portion 40 as an air introduction path 91 to the inside of the container body 1, and the air introduction port 91A to the inside of the container body 1 is a cylinder. 30 is drilled on the upper end side of the large-diameter portion 30A. In the initial state of the foam discharger 10 (FIG. 1), the air introduction port 91A is closed with respect to the air introduction path 91 by the piston portion 70B of the air piston 70, and when the head 40 is reciprocated up and down, the air introduction port 91A is The air piston 70 is opened to the air introduction path 91 by the piston portion 70B of the air piston 70 and is always shut off from the air chamber A. Since the above-described cover 75 forms a minute gap around the cylindrical portion 20 </ b> B of the cap 20, it is difficult for the outside water to enter the air introduction path 91.

  In the foam discharger 10, an air intake path for sucking external air from the external air intake port 71 </ b> A through the air intake channel 71 to the air chamber A, and an air intake channel 91 through the air intake port 91 </ b> A. An air introduction path for introducing external air into the container body 1 is a separate system.

The foam dispenser 10 operates as follows.
(Operation 1) (Fig. 2)
(1) When the head 40 is pushed from the initial state of FIG. 1, the piston guide 51, the piston 52, and the poppet 60 are lowered downward integrally with the head 40 first.

  (2) The lower end valve 62 of the poppet 60 hits the valve seat 34 of the small diameter portion 30B of the cylinder 30 (IA portion), and the liquid chamber L is closed.

  (3) Since the air piston 70 does not move at this point (the gap between the head 40 and the upper end of the air piston 70 becomes narrow) (IB portion), there is a gap between the lower end of the air piston 70 and the lower end of the piston guide 51. It becomes the discharge port 73A of the air chamber A (IC portion).

(Operation 2) (FIG. 3)
(1) When the head 40 is further pushed, the piston guide 51, the piston 52, and the air piston 70 are lowered downward together with the head 40.

  (2) The air in the air chamber A passes through the air discharge path 73, and the liquid in the liquid chamber L passes through the liquid discharge path 54 and is mixed in the jet ring 81 portion of the foam generating unit 80 to become bubbles. The bubbles pass through the mesh 82A attached to the mesh ring 82 and are discharged as fine bubbles from the discharge port 42 of the head 40.

  (3) At this time, the water accumulated in the air chamber A is also discharged from the discharge port 42 through the air discharge path 73 along the air flow.

  (4) While the head 40 is being pushed, the air introduction port 91A on the side surface of the air chamber A that has been closed by the air piston 70 is opened, so that air is introduced into the container body 1.

(Operation 3) (FIG. 4)
(1) When the pressing of the head 40 is stopped and the hand is released from the head 40, the piston guide 51, piston 52, and poppet 60 are lifted by the spring force of the coil spring 53 together with the head 40.

  (2) The lower end of the poppet 60 is separated from the valve seat 34 of the small diameter portion 30B of the cylinder 30 to form a gap (IIIA portion), and the liquid chamber L is opened.

  (3) Since the air piston 70 does not move at this point (the gap between the head 40 and the upper end of the air piston 70 is widened) (IIIB portion), the gap between the lower end of the air piston 70 and the lower end of the piston guide 51 is closed. The air outlet 73A is closed (IIIC portion).

(Operation 4) (FIG. 5)
(1) When the head 40 further rises, the piston guide 51, the piston 52, and the air piston 70 rise together with the head 40.

  (2) Since the air chamber A has a negative pressure, the suction check valve 72 is opened, and air is sucked into the air chamber A through the air suction path 71. Since the liquid chamber L also has a negative pressure, the content liquid in the container body 1 is introduced into the liquid chamber L through the dip tube 32.

  (3) Return to the initial state of FIG.

According to the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(a) An air outlet 73A from the air chamber A to the bubble generating unit 80 is provided near the bottom B of the air chamber A. Therefore, when the air piston 70 contracts the air chamber A and discharges the air in the air chamber A from the discharge port 73A to the bubble generating unit 80, the water that has entered the air chamber A and is present at the bottom B is also air. It is discharged from the discharge port 73 </ b> A to the discharge port 42 side by the flow of the water and can prevent water from staying in the air chamber A.

  (b) Since the bottom portion B of the air chamber A is inclined downward toward the air discharge port 73A, the water that has entered the air chamber A is collected around the discharge port 73A of the bottom portion B, and the water according to (a) described above is collected. It is possible to ensure the discharge.

  (c) The lower end of the piston guide 51 that moves down together with the head 40 when the head 40 is moved downward is separated from the lower end of the air piston 70, and an air outlet 73A is opened between the lower ends of the piston 40. An open / close valve 74 is provided that closes the lower end of the air piston 70 at the lower end of the piston guide 51 that moves up together with the head 40 when moving upward and closes the air outlet 73A between the lower ends. Accordingly, an on-off valve 74 that closes the discharge port 73A when the head 40 that sucks air into the air chamber A moves upward and opens the discharge port 73A when the head 40 discharges air from the air chamber A is specially provided. A simple configuration is possible regardless of the valve body.

  (d) The air intake path for sucking external air into the air chamber A and the air introduction path for introducing external air into the container body 1 are provided in different systems. Therefore, if the external intake port 71A of the air intake path is provided on the uppermost end side of the head 40, and the periphery of the external intake port 71A is covered with the cover 75, a dedicated air intake path (air intake) The road 71 etc. can be easily secured.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an initial state of the foam discharger. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the head of the foam discharger has started to move downward. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a downward movement state of the head of the foam dispenser. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the head of the foam discharger has started to move upward. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the upward movement of the head of the foam dispenser.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container body 1A Mouth part 10 Foam discharger 20 Cap 30 Cylinder 30A Large diameter part 30B Small diameter part 40 Head 42 Discharge port 51 Piston guide 52 Piston 53 Coil spring 54 Liquid discharge path 60 Poppet 70 Air piston 71 Air suction path 73 Air Discharge path 73A Air discharge port 74 On-off valve 80 Foam generation part 91 Air introduction path A Air chamber B Bottom L Liquid chamber

Claims (3)

It has a head that can be reciprocated with respect to a cap fixed to the mouth of the container body. By reciprocating the head, the liquid content can be changed from the volume variable liquid chamber and the air from the volume variable air chamber. In addition, each foam generation unit, a foam discharger that mixes and foams the content liquid and air in the bubble generation unit, and discharges the generated bubbles from the discharge port provided in the head,
An air piston that reciprocates in the air chamber in conjunction with the reciprocating motion of the head is provided, the outside air is sucked into the air chamber expanded by the air piston, and the air in the air chamber contracted by the air piston is bubbled Discharged into
An air outlet from the air chamber to the bubble generating part is provided near the bottom of the air chamber ,
An air piston is fitted to the outer periphery of the piston guide fixed to the head, an air discharge path is provided between the outer periphery of the piston guide and the inner periphery of the air piston, and the lower end of the piston guide and the lower end of the air piston are in the air. To form an on-off valve that opens and closes
The on-off valve separates the lower end of the piston guide that moves down with the head when the head moves downward from the lower end of the air piston and opens an air discharge port between the lower ends of the piston. A foam dispenser that closes the air outlet between the lower ends of the piston guides that move together with the lower end of the piston guide .   The foam discharger according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the air chamber has a downward slope toward the air discharge port. The foam discharger according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein an air suction path for sucking external air into the air chamber and an air introduction path for introducing external air into the container body are provided as separate systems.

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