JP5742116B2 - Foam discharge container - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a foam discharge container that discharges a liquid in a container body in a foam shape by pressing a flexible container body.

  When a flexible container body is pressed, the foam discharge container that discharges the liquid in the container body in the form of foam is also called a squeeze foamer container, and various cosmetics, cleaning agents, etc. are discharged in the form of foam. Is used.

  As one of the common forms of foam discharge containers, a former cap having a gas-liquid mixing chamber is attached to the mouth of the container body, and a dip tube extending into the container body is connected to the former cap, thereby There is a type in which a liquid supplied from the main body through a dip tube and air supplied from a space in the container body are mixed and bubbled in a gas-liquid mixing chamber. In such a foam discharge container, conventionally, an air intake port of an air introduction path for supplying air to the gas-liquid mixing chamber is provided below the gas-liquid mixing chamber (Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-3853 Japanese Patent No. 2934145

  In a conventional foam discharge container in which an air inlet of an air introduction path for supplying air to the gas-liquid mixing chamber is provided below the gas-liquid mixing chamber, the liquid is shaken in the container body. When bubbles are formed, the air intake port of the air introduction path is blocked by the bubbles, so that air cannot be sufficiently supplied to the gas-liquid mixing chamber, and the desired foamy bubbles may not be discharged.

  For this, a foam discharge container has been proposed in which the gas-liquid mixing chamber is disposed above the mouth of the container body in order to keep the air inlet of the air introduction path as far as possible from the liquid level in the container body. . However, in this foam discharge container, the former cap largely protrudes upward from the mouth portion of the container body, and the foam discharge container cannot be made compact.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a foam discharge container in which a dip tube extends from the former cap into the container body, and keeps the air inlet of the air introduction path as far as possible from the liquid surface in the container body, and the former cap is made compact. The purpose is to configure.

  The inventor supplies the liquid in the container body to the gas-liquid mixing part in the former cap through the dip tube, and supplies the air in the container body to cause the liquid to foam. A compact structure is achieved by providing an air introduction path, a liquid introduction path, and a gas-liquid merge section where they merge in the gap between them, and providing an air intake port in the air introduction path above the gas-liquid merge section. Thus, it has been found that the air intake can be separated from the liquid level in the container body.

That is, the present invention is a foam discharge container comprising a flexible container body, a former cap attached to the mouth of the container body, and a dip tube extending from the former cap into the container body. The former cap has an outer cylindrical portion communicating with the dip tube, an inner cylindrical portion fitted in the outer cylindrical portion, and a foam discharge path extending from the inner cylindrical portion,
Air introduction path is formed in the upper portion of the outer cylindrical portion by a plurality of grooves between said outer cylindrical portion and the inner cylindrical portion, the outer cylindrical portion at the bottom of the outer cylindrical portion and the inner cylindrical portion of A gas-liquid junction where the liquid introduction path is formed by a plurality of grooves on the opposing surface, and the air introduction path and the liquid introduction path merge between the outer cylindrical part and the inner cylindrical part at the center of the outer cylindrical part Is provided, and the air introduction path has an air intake port above the gas-liquid junction.

  According to the foam discharge container of the present invention, the air intake port of the air introduction path is provided above the gas-liquid junction where the air introduction path and the liquid introduction path merge. It becomes possible to separate from the liquid surface. Therefore, even when the liquid in the container body is foamed, it is possible to prevent the air intake from being blocked by the foam and maintain good foam ejection.

  In this case, it is not necessary to separate the gas-liquid junction where the air introduction path and the liquid introduction path merge from the liquid surface in the container body, so the former cap is greatly raised from the mouth of the container body. It is not necessary to make it protrude. Therefore, according to the foam discharge container of this invention, it becomes possible to comprise a former cap compactly.

Drawing 1 is a perspective view (a) and a front view (b) of a foam discharge container of an example. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the former cap of the foam container of FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a liquid flow and a gas flow in the vicinity of the gas-liquid confluence portion of the foam discharge container of FIG. 1. FIG. 4A is a top view of an outer cylindrical portion used by the foam discharge container of FIG. 1. FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the outer cylindrical portion used by the foam discharge container of FIG. 1.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same numerals indicate the same or equivalent components.

  1A is a perspective view of a foam discharge container 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1B is a front view thereof, and FIG. 2 is attached to the mouth of the container main body with the foam discharge container 1. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a former cap 10.

  The foam discharge container 1 is made of plastic having flexibility, a container main body 2 in which a foamable liquid A is accommodated, a former cap 10 attached to the mouth of the container main body 2, a former A dip tube 11 extending from the cap 10 into the container main body 2 is provided, and the foam discharge container 1 is placed in an upright state so that the body portion of the container main body 2 is pressed and deformed as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. By doing so, the liquid A in the container body 2 is discharged in the form of bubbles from the discharge port 12 of the former cap 10.

  Here, as a material of the container body 2, so-called squeeze properties (that is, pressability and squeeze back property) are good, and polypropylene (PP), high density polyethylene (HDPE), medium density polyethylene (MDPE), and low density polyethylene. Polyolefin resins such as (LDPE) and polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be used singly or appropriately in combination.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the former cap 10 is attached to the attachment / detachment itself by being screwed into the mouth portion 3 of the container body 2. Further, the former cap 10 has an outer cylindrical portion 20 in the housing 13 and an inner cylindrical portion 30 fitted in the outer cylindrical portion 20. Here, the outer cylindrical portion 20 and the inner cylindrical portion 30 are such that the inner wall of the outer cylindrical portion 20 and the outer wall of the inner cylindrical portion 30 are directly opposed to each other at the lower portions 20a and 30a. In 30b, the cylindrical wall 15 suspended from the housing 13 is opposed so that the inner wall of the outer cylindrical part 20 and the outer wall of the inner cylindrical part 30 are sandwiched.

  The outer cylindrical portion 20 has a lower end serving as a dip tube holder 21 into which the dip tube 11 is inserted, and the inside of the outer cylindrical portion 20 communicates with the inserted dip tube 11. In this case, the dip tube 11 is bent in a square shape so that the liquid A in the container main body 2 can be discharged without any residue when the foam discharge container 1 is tilted toward the discharge port 12 and used. The tip opening of the dip tube 11 is directed to the discharge port 12 side.

  The inner cylindrical portion 30 has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and the closed bottom portion 31 faces the dip tube 11 side. Further, the inner cylindrical portion 30 has a first mesh 40 at the opening end opposite to the dip tube 11 and is connected to the bubble discharge path 14 and the discharge port 12. A second mesh 41 is further provided in the bubble discharge path 14 between the first mesh 40 and the discharge port 12.

  Between the outer cylindrical part 20 and the inner cylindrical part 30, a plurality of air introduction paths p, a plurality of liquid introduction paths q, a plurality of air introduction paths p and liquid introduction paths q merge to form bubbles. Are formed, and each air introduction path p communicates with the upper space 2a in the container body 2 at the upper end portion of the outer cylindrical portion 20 on the side opposite to the gas-liquid merging portion r. The introduction path q communicates with the dip tube 11 at the end opposite to the gas-liquid merging portion r, and the gas-liquid merging portion r is connected to the inside of the inner cylindrical portion 30 by a communication hole 32 formed in the inner cylindrical portion 30. Communicate.

  More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 </ b> A, and 4 </ b> B, an upper portion 20 b that is substantially the upper half of the outer tubular portion 20 is provided on the inner wall of the outer tubular portion 20. Six vertical grooves 22 extending from the upper end edge to the gas-liquid confluence portion r at the center are formed, and by inserting the cylindrical wall 15 between the outer cylindrical portion 20 and the inner cylindrical portion 30, The air introduction path p is formed in the gap between the inner wall of the upper part 20 b of the outer cylindrical part 20 and the cylindrical wall 15 and the gap between the inner wall of the step part 20 c of the outer cylindrical part 20 and the inner cylindrical part 30. I have to. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the air inlet p1 of the air introduction path p is formed at the upper end of the outer cylindrical portion 20, that is, directly below the horizontally extending bubble discharge path 14, and the container body 2 It takes a position farthest from the liquid surface of the liquid A inside. Therefore, even when the liquid A in the container body 2 is foamed, the air intake port p1 can be prevented from being blocked by the foam, and good foam can be discharged. Further, in this case, the gas-liquid confluence portion r is located within the vertical width of the mouth portion 3 of the container body 2, in other words, the mouth portion 3 is formed, and is located inside the cylinder provided with a screw on the outer wall, It is not necessary to position the gas-liquid confluence portion r where bubbles are generated above the upper edge of the cylinder forming the mouth portion 3 of the container body 2. Therefore, according to this foam discharge container 1, the former cap 10 can be made compact.

  On the other hand, in the lower part 20a, which is substantially the lower half of the outer cylindrical part 20, the inner surface facing the inner cylindrical part 30 is exposed to the air in the central part of the outer cylindrical part 20 from the vicinity of the insertion end of the dip tube 11. Six longitudinal grooves 23 reaching the liquid junction r are formed, and a liquid introduction path q is formed in the gap between the outer cylindrical portion 20 and the inner cylindrical portion 30.

  Thus, by providing a plurality of air introduction paths p and liquid introduction paths q and mixing air and liquid, the gas-liquid mixing efficiency can be improved and the foam quality can be homogenized. In the illustrated former cap 10, the cross-sectional shape of the air introduction path p is rectangular and the cross-sectional shape of the liquid introduction path q is a half-moon shape. However, these cross-sectional shapes are not limited thereto, and the air introduction path is not limited thereto. The cross-sectional shape of p and the liquid introduction path q may be the same.

  In the present invention, instead of forming the air introduction path p in the groove 22 on the inner wall of the upper part 20 b of the outer cylindrical part 20, the upper part of the cylindrical wall 15 or the inner cylindrical part 30 facing the outer cylindrical part 20. You may form by providing a groove | channel in the outer wall of 30b.

  Moreover, since the fitting force can be increased when the cylindrical wall 15 is fitted between the outer cylindrical portion 20 and the inner cylindrical portion 30 as in the illustrated former cap 10, the foam discharge container 1 Even when a rotational force is applied to the dip tube 11 to change the direction of the tip opening of the dip tube 11 during transportation, the direction of the tip opening of the dip tube 11 can be prevented from changing, and the air introduction path p This is preferable because the air intake port p1 can be moved far away from the liquid surface of the liquid A, but the outer cylindrical portion is not inserted between the outer cylindrical portion 20 and the inner cylindrical portion 30. 20 and the inner cylindrical portion 30 are directly opposed to each other, and the outer cylindrical portion 20 and the inner cylindrical portion 30 are fixed to the housing 13 by fitting the inner cylindrical portion 30 and the cylindrical wall 15. Also good. In that case, the air introduction path p can be formed by forming a groove in the inner wall of the upper part 20 b of the outer cylindrical part 20 or the outer wall of the upper part 30 b of the inner cylindrical part 30.

  The liquid introduction path q is also formed in the lower part 30a of the outer wall of the inner cylindrical part 30 facing the lower part 20a of the outer cylindrical part 20 instead of being formed from the groove 23 on the inner wall of the lower part 20a of the outer cylindrical part 20. You may form from the formed groove | channel. Furthermore, the liquid supplied from the dip tube 11 may be mixed with the air supplied from the air introduction path p without branching through the plurality of liquid introduction paths q. In order to improve the gas-liquid mixing efficiency, it is preferable to provide a plurality of air introduction paths p and a plurality of liquid introduction paths q as described above to mix air and liquid.

  On the other hand, the housing 13 is provided with a ball valve 16 as a check valve that prevents outflow of air from the inside of the housing 13 and allows the inflow of air from the outside of the housing 13.

  This foam discharge container 1 is used as follows. First, in a state where the foamable liquid A is accommodated in the container body 2, the body part of the container body 2 is pressed and recessed. As a result, the internal pressure in the container body 2 is increased, and the liquid A passes through the dip tube 11 as shown in FIG. 3, branches at a plurality of liquid introduction paths q, and is supplied to a plurality of gas-liquid junctions r. Air B is supplied to a plurality of gas-liquid junctions r from a plurality of air introduction paths p communicating with the upper space of the container body 2. As a result, the liquid A is uniformly foamed at the plurality of gas-liquid merging portions r, and the bubbles C are discharged into the inner cylindrical portion 30 through the communication holes 32, where the plurality of gas-liquid merging portions r are formed. Bubbles merge. The merged bubbles sequentially pass through the first mesh 40 and the second mesh 41 to improve the foam quality and are discharged from the discharge port 12. Next, when the pressure on the container main body 2 is released, the container main body 2 returns to the shape before the press due to the flexibility of the container main body 2, so that the pressure inside the container main body 2 decreases. By reducing the internal pressure, the ball 17 of the ball valve falls to its latching position due to its own weight, and the ball valve 16 is opened. As a result, air outside the container enters the container body 2, and the inside of the container body 2 always remains. Return to pressure. Thereafter, the liquid A in the container body 2 can be discharged in the form of bubbles by repeating this pressing and releasing thereof.

  The foam discharge container of the present invention can take various forms. For example, the shape of the discharge port is not particularly limited, and an applicator such as a comb tooth may be attached. Moreover, the arrangement | positioning position of the 1st, 2nd meshes 40 and 41 provided in the bubble discharge path 14 can be changed suitably, and the arrangement | positioning number of meshes may be reduced or increased.

  The foam discharge container of the present invention is useful as a container for discharging cosmetics used for hair, face, body and the like, detergents used for baths, kitchens, toilets, and the like in a foam form.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Foam discharge container 2 Container body 3 Mouth part 10 Former cap 11 Dip tube 12 Discharge port 13 Housing 14 Foam discharge path 15 Tubular wall 16 Ball valve 17 Ball 20 Outer tubular part 21 Dip tube holder 22 Groove 23 Groove 30 Inner Cylindrical portion 31 Bottom portion 32 Communication hole 40 First mesh 41 Second mesh A Liquid B Air C Foam p Air introduction path p1 Air intake q Liquid introduction path r Gas-liquid junction

Claims (2)

A foam discharge container comprising a flexible container body, a former cap attached to the mouth of the container body, and a dip tube extending from the former cap into the container body,
The former cap has an outer cylindrical portion communicating with the dip tube, an inner cylindrical portion fitted in the outer cylindrical portion, and a foam discharge path extending from the inner cylindrical portion,
Air introduction path is formed in the upper portion of the outer cylindrical portion by a plurality of grooves between said outer cylindrical portion and the inner cylindrical portion, the outer cylindrical portion at the bottom of the outer cylindrical portion and the inner cylindrical portion of A gas-liquid junction where the liquid introduction path is formed by a plurality of grooves on the opposing surface, and the air introduction path and the liquid introduction path merge between the outer cylindrical part and the inner cylindrical part at the center of the outer cylindrical part Is formed, and the air introduction path has an air intake port above the gas-liquid junction. The foam discharge container according to claim 1, wherein an air intake port of the air introduction path is formed at an upper end of the outer cylindrical portion.

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