WO2012002331A1

WO2012002331A1 - Aerosol cap

Info

Publication number: WO2012002331A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/064700
Authority: WO
Inventors: 裕樹堀本; 和徳星野; 三原　秀人
Original assignee: 小林製薬株式会社; 株式会社丸一
Priority date: 2010-06-30
Filing date: 2011-06-27
Publication date: 2012-01-05
Also published as: JP2012030799A; JP4694648B1; JP2012030800A; JP5936811B2

Abstract

An aerosol cap is provided with: a cap body (20) that comprises a pair of side walls (22) and a cap section (21) that covers an aerosol can (1); a push button (30) that has a nozzle (400) in which a spray opening is formed; and a visor section (24) provided between the side walls (22). A gap (224) allowing manual operation is formed between the two side walls (22) in the edge section in the direction opposite the spraying direction. The edge surface in the spraying direction extends increasingly farther in the direction away from the nozzle while extending from the inside toward the outside of the side walls (22). The visor section (24) forms a space above the nozzle, and is fixed to the side walls (22). The nozzle of the push button (30) is configured in a manner such that the spray angle of the spray from the spray opening (40) is greater in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction.

Description

Aerosol cap

The present invention relates to an aerosol cap for an aerosol container for spraying medicine or the like.

The aerosol container has a structure in which the contents are jetted by pushing down a valve stem provided at the top of the aerosol can. In order to facilitate the pressing of the valve stem, a push button is usually connected to the valve stem. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the push button (aerosol button) 30 has a nozzle part 400 provided with an injection port 40 and a flow path 42 a extending to the nozzle part, and the contents passed through the valve stem are predetermined. Inject at an injection angle of In the illustrated example, the ejection port 40 is formed by a minute hole provided in the ejection piece 36, and a pair of projecting pieces 35a that are vertically opposed to each other are provided on the tip side thereof. The injection piece 36 is formed separately from the column body 34a constituting the nozzle portion 400, and is embedded and fitted into the tip end portion of the column body 34a. In this example, the push button 30 is supported by the cap body 20 of the aerosol cap 2a. The cap body 20 includes a crown portion 21 to be fitted to the aerosol can, and side walls 22 rising from both sides of the crown portion. The push button 30 is located between the side walls 22 and the hinge piece 227. And connected to the cap body 20.

It is necessary to prevent the push button from being inadvertently depressed when not in use. For this purpose, a cap that covers the push button is detachably attached to the aerosol can, or fixed to the aerosol can. A cap is used that has a pair of side walls that are mounted and a push button positioned between them. The former detachable cap needs to be removed every time it is used, but the latter one-touch cap can prevent the push button from being inadvertently pushed down without requiring such effort. In recent years, it has been widely used.

The pair of side walls in the one-touch type cap extends to a position higher than the push button, and the end portions on the opposite side to the injection direction in the pair of side walls are spaced apart from each other so that the fingers can reach the push button. The end portions on the ejection direction side are separated so as to locate the nozzle portion therebetween.

In recent years, with increasing frequency of use of aerosol-type fragrances and deodorants and expansion of usage space, it has been required to obtain a larger amount of injection flow by injecting at a wide angle. A structure that more reliably prevents contact with the jet flow is desired. For this purpose, the side wall end faces on the injection direction side are separated from each other as they go from the inner side to the outer side of the side walls, and are opened so as to extend away from the nozzle portion, that is, the pair of side wall end faces in plan view. It is effective to have a substantially fan-shaped shape.

However, if the side wall end face on the injection direction side is thus open, the finger can reach the push button also from this end face side. As a result, if the user accidentally presses the push button from the ejection direction side, an unexpected situation may occur in which the ejected medicine is released toward the hand or the human body. However, at present, an aerosol cap that can sufficiently cope with this problem without impairing the original function of the aerosol container has not been realized with respect to the one-touch type aerosol cap.

For example, in the aerosol cap described in Patent Document 1, a guard member is detachably provided so as to straddle the upper part of the wall portion surrounding the push button, and is attached when not in use to prevent the push button from being pushed down. Allows the button to be pressed down. However, this attaching / detaching operation is troublesome, and there is a drawback that the function cannot be obtained if the guard member is lost.

The aerosol cap described in Patent Document 2 has a structure in which a member straddling between the side walls is arranged above the nozzle portion, and it is difficult for fingers to reach the push button from the injection direction side. However, since the injection port is provided in the flange of the cylindrical portion that extends horizontally, the injection flow whose flow rate is increased at a wide angle may come into contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical portion in front of the side wall.

The aerosol cap described in Patent Document 3 includes a plate-like member (button pressing piece) supported by a pair of side walls (top plate portion) and temporarily fixed to the injection direction side. When discharging the residual gas from the aerosol container, it is rotated to the opposite side of the injection direction, and is locked to both side walls at the rotation position to keep the injection button pressed down, and the residual gas is continuously released. . This button pressing piece makes it difficult for fingers to reach the push button from the injection direction side in the temporarily fixed state, but both side walls require a structure for temporary fixing, and the push button is an inverted plate-like button pressing piece. As a result of having to arrange the upper end surface at the pressed position, the shape and dimensions of the side wall and the push button are limited, and accordingly, the reachability between the side walls, the operability of the push button, etc. The structure of the aerosol cap is also limited.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-113994 (paragraphs 0027 and 0028, FIGS. 6 and 7) JP 2002-308360 A (paragraphs 0006 to 0008, FIGS. 1 to 3) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-306451 (paragraphs 0009 to 0013, FIGS. 1 to 6)

The present invention aims to solve these problems of the prior art and provide a one-touch type aerosol cap that can surely prevent the push button from being inadvertently depressed without impairing the original function of the aerosol container.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a cap body having a cylindrical crown portion covering an outer peripheral edge of an upper portion of the aerosol can, a pair of side walls extending upward from the crown portion, and a valve of the aerosol can A push button (aerosol button) located between the side walls of the cap body in a state of being connected to the valve stem and having a nozzle portion that is connectable to the stem and having an injection port for the contents of the aerosol can. And a gap provided between the pair of side walls on the ejection direction side of the cap body, and the pair of side walls is a gap for allowing a finger to reach the ejection button at an end opposite to the ejection direction. The end surface on the injection direction side extends in a direction away from the nozzle portion as it goes from the inside to the outside of the side wall, and the flange portion is located above the nozzle portion. It is fixed between the pair of side walls in a state where a gap is formed, and the nozzle part of the push button is set so that the horizontal injection angle of the injection flow from the injection port is larger than the vertical injection angle. An aerosol cap is provided.

The aerosol cap according to the present invention includes a cap body having a cylindrical crown portion that covers the outer peripheral edge of the upper portion of the aerosol can, and a pair of side walls extending upward from the crown portion, Since the push button is positioned between the side walls and a gap is formed at the end opposite to the injection direction to allow the finger to reach the injection button, injection can be performed with a single touch while the aerosol cap is attached to the aerosol can. Can be done. Further, since the end surfaces on the injection direction side of the pair of side walls extend in the direction away from the nozzle portion as going from the inner side to the outer side of the side walls, the jet flow is prevented from coming into contact with the end surfaces of the side walls.

Further, the aerosol cap includes a flange portion provided between the pair of side walls on the injection direction side of the cap body, and the flange portion is fixed between the pair of side walls above the nozzle portion. Even if the side wall end faces are largely separated from each other to prevent contact with the jet flow, the hooks prevent the fingers from reaching the push button. In addition, since the collar portion is provided between the pair of side walls with a gap formed above the nozzle portion, the arrangement of the collar portion does not limit the shape and dimensions of the sidewall and the push button, and the aerosol cap The structure is not limited. In many cases, an aerosol container equipped with an aerosol cap is packaged with a shrink film at the time of shipment. In this regard, if the end surfaces of the pair of side walls are largely separated from each other, the film may be greatly bent at the separated portion to cause wrinkles or damage. However, in the present invention, the hooks are paired above the nozzle part. Since the shrink film is fixed between the side walls, the shrink film is supported by the flange portion, and the occurrence of wrinkles and breakage is prevented.

Furthermore, the nozzle portion of the push button is set so that the horizontal injection angle of the jet flow from the injection port is larger than the vertical injection angle. Even if the injection angle in the horizontal direction is increased, the end surface of the side wall in the injection direction extends in a direction away from the nozzle portion from the inside to the outside, so that contact with the injection flow is prevented, and a high flow rate injection is performed. Can be performed. When the injection angle is increased in the vertical direction, the crowning portion is located below the nozzle, and the distance between the crowning portion and the nozzle is limited due to the cap height limitation, so the jet flow is below the nozzle. It becomes easy to touch a part.

The push button includes a first outflow path (introduction path) that can communicate with the stem of the aerosol can, and a second outflow path (lead-out) that bends from the first outflow path and extends in the injection direction to form the injection port at the tip. And the second outflow path extends to a position in the vicinity of the first outflow path so that the injection port is located at the radial center of the cap body. Based on this, when the aerosol cap is resin-molded, a mold configuration for punching the second mold for forming the second outflow path away from the first mold for forming the first outflow path; By doing so, the second mold can be shortened. Since the second mold has a thin needle-like part at the tip so as to form an injection port, by forming it short in this way, the needle-like part is prevented from being bent or bent, and is molded safely and reliably. Can be performed.

The push button includes a protruding piece extending in an injection direction from an end surface on the injection port side, and the protruding piece allows diffusion in a horizontal direction with respect to an injection flow from the injection port and has a width in a vertical direction. It can be provided to be opposed to each other in the vertical direction. Thereby, the jet flow from the jet outlet is controlled so that the horizontal jet angle is larger than the vertical jet angle. Moreover, the spreading form of the jet flow can be adjusted by setting the protruding length of the protruding piece or the facing interval.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a one-touch type aerosol cap that can reliably prevent the push button from being inadvertently depressed without impairing the original function of the aerosol container.

It is a perspective view showing the state where the aerosol cap concerning one embodiment of the present invention was equipped in the aerosol can. It is the perspective view which looked at the aerosol cap shown in FIG. 1 from diagonally upper front. It is the perspective view which looked at the aerosol cap shown in FIG. 1 from diagonally upper back. It is the perspective view which looked at the aerosol cap shown in FIG. 1 from diagonally lower front. It is a side view of the aerosol cap shown in FIG. It is a bottom view of the aerosol cap shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the principal part of the aerosol cap shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the push button in the aerosol cap of FIG. 7 with the cross section which follows a center plane. FIG. 9 shows the push button of FIG. 8, (a) is a longitudinal side view, and (b) is a front view of the center portion thereof. It is a perspective view which shows the aerosol cap which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the conventional aerosol cap from diagonally upper front. It is a perspective view which shows a part of shaping | molding die of the aerosol cap shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the principal part of the example of the improved aerosol cap. It is a front view of the principal part of the aerosol cap shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the conventional aerosol button, (a) is a vertical side view, (b) is a front view. It is a perspective view which shows a part of shaping | molding die of the aerosol button shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or similar parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is partially omitted.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which an aerosol cap according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on an aerosol can, and FIGS. 2 to 6 show the aerosol cap viewed from various angles. Below, for convenience of explanation, the injection direction side in the aerosol cap will be described as the front side, and the operation side will be described as the rear side. The injection from the aerosol cap means that the contents of the aerosol can are sprayed in a mist form.

The aerosol can 1 has a general form in which the upper portion of a bottomed cylindrical can body 11 is closed with a mounting cup 12 and a valve stem 13 is provided at the center thereof. The outer peripheral edge portion 14 at the upper portion of the can body 11 is a winding fastening portion between the can body 11 and the mounting cup 12, and the aerosol cap 2 is fitted therein.

The aerosol cap 2 includes a cap body 20 having a cylindrical crown 21 that covers the outer peripheral edge 14 of the upper portion of the aerosol can 1, and a pair of side walls 22 that extend upward from the crown, and a valve stem of the aerosol can. 13 and a push button 30 for injecting the contents of the aerosol can through the valve stem through the injection port 40 by being pushed down.

The crown portion 21 of the aerosol cap 2 has a cylindrical shape and is elastically deformed at the lower end portion so that it can be detached from the outer peripheral edge portion 14 of the aerosol can 1 and is usually attached to the aerosol can 1. Used in state. The side wall 22 includes an outer wall 221 that extends upward from the crown portion 21, a top wall 222 that extends radially inward from the upper end of the outer wall, and an inner wall 223 that extends downward from the top wall. The pair of side walls 22 are spaced apart from each other to form a gap at the injection direction side (front side) and the opposite side (rear side) ends. The rear (operation side) gap 224 is formed with a size that allows the finger to reach the push button 30 during the aerosol injection operation. Thereby, it can spray by one touch, with the aerosol cap 2 mounted on the aerosol can 1. The front end walls 225 on the ejection direction side of the pair of side walls 22 extend substantially in the radial direction so as to open from the inner wall 223 to the outer wall 221 in a substantially fan shape in plan view. A space between the front end wall 225 and the crown portion 21 is covered with a front lower wall 226.

As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the push button 30 includes a peripheral wall 31 extending in the vertical direction and an upper wall 32 covering the upper end of the peripheral wall, and the lower side is open. The injection direction side portion of the peripheral wall 31 is thick, and a stem insertion hole 33 extending in the vertical direction is formed there. The lower end portion of the stem insertion hole 33 has a tapered shape that extends downward, so that the valve stem 13 can be easily inserted. The end (upper end) of the stem insertion hole 33 is continuous with the base end of the first outflow path (introduction path) 41 through which the contents of the aerosol can pass, and the first outflow path 41 extends in the extending direction of the stem insertion hole 33. It extends and the front end becomes a closed portion 411 and closes.

In this embodiment, the stem insertion hole 33 is formed by a straight hole having the same inner diameter. The first outflow passage 41 is formed by a tip pore whose rear inner wall is inclined. Thereby, the flow of the fluid at the time of ejection can be efficiently guided to the ejection port 40. The stem insertion hole 33 and the first outflow passage 41 are arranged on the same axis. The stem insertion hole 33 and the first outflow passage 41 can be released in the downward direction J (FIG. 8) of a mold (not shown) because there is no enlarged diameter portion in the middle. The stem insertion hole 33 is formed with a diameter larger than that of the first outflow passage 41, so that a step portion 331 is formed at the boundary with the first outflow passage 41. This step 331 serves as a stopper for the valve stem 13 to be inserted.

The push button 30 is formed with a second outflow path (lead-out path) 42 having a proximal end connected orthogonally to the first outflow path 41 and having a distal end opened outward from the peripheral wall 31. The second outflow passage 42 is formed by a straight hole having the same inner diameter, and communicates with the first outflow passage 41 below the closing portion 411.

A column body 34 protrudes from the front wall 311 of the push button 30 in which the first outflow path 41 is formed, and the column body 34 intersects the central axis C (FIG. 9) of the first outflow path 41 (this embodiment). A second outflow passage 42 extending along an axis G that is orthogonal in the form is opened at the tip surface to form an injection port 40. In the present embodiment, the column body 34 is exemplified as a cylinder, but the column body 34 can also be a columnar shape such as an elliptical column, a long column, a rectangular column, a hexagonal column, or an octagonal column.

The second outflow path 42 extends to a position in the vicinity of the first outflow path 41 so that the injection port 40 is located at the radial center of the cap body 20. Based on this, when the aerosol cap is resin-molded, the second mold for forming the second outflow path (see FIG. 12 described later) is used as the first mold for forming the first outflow path (not shown). On the other hand, the mold configuration is such that the mold is removed in a direction away from it, and the size of the second mold can be shortened. Since the second mold has a thin needle-like portion at the tip so as to form the injection port 40 and the second outflow passage 42, the needle-like portion can be damaged such as bending or bending by forming it short in this way. Prevention and safe and reliable molding becomes possible.

A protruding piece 35 is provided on the front end surface of the column 34 so as to protrude in the direction along the axis G (FIG. 8). The projecting piece limits the width in one direction in the cross section of the jet flow from the jet port and allows diffusion in a direction perpendicular to the width direction. In the present embodiment, a pair of protruding pieces 35 are provided facing each other in the vertical direction, and the gap 350 between the protruding pieces 35 allows the horizontal flow of the jet flow from the jet port 40. Limit the vertical width. Thereby, the horizontal injection angle of the injection flow from the injection port 40 becomes larger than the vertical injection angle, and a fan-shaped injection pattern spreading in the horizontal direction is obtained.

The opposing edge 351 (FIG. 7) of the projecting piece 35 has a width W (FIG. 9B) viewed in a direction orthogonal to the opposing direction and substantially the same width as the diameter of the injection port. Thus, since the width of the protruding piece is reduced so as to be substantially the same width as the injection port, resistance to the injection flow is small. As a result, it is possible to spray a wide angle, and it is excellent in ensuring the straightness of injection and the injection flow rate, and a large amount of medicine can be injected far. In addition, the effect of preventing dripping due to the stay or adhering of the jet flow in the vicinity of the injection port, and the effect of preventing the content from being clogged in the flow path (particularly the content containing powder) (In the case of a thing, the effect is large). Specifically, the width W of the opposed edge portion 351 of the projecting piece 35 is desirably 1 to 2 times the diameter of the injection port 40 (see FIG. 9B). If the width W of the opposed edge portion 351 is smaller than the diameter of the injection port, it is difficult to mold the second mold described later during resin molding. Further, when the width W of the opposed edge portion 351 exceeds twice the diameter of the injection port, the resistance exerted by the protruding piece on the injection flow increases, and the straightness of injection and the injection flow rate decrease.

This projecting piece 35 can adjust the spreading form of the jet flow by setting the projecting length or the facing interval. FIG. 2 schematically shows an example of an injection flow F when the aerosol cap 2 is attached to an aerosol can and injection is performed. Moreover, since the surface which the protrusion piece 35 faces consists of a wall surface extended along the axis line G, the core can be released in the outflow direction of the second outflow path during resin molding. Thus, in the present embodiment, it is possible to integrally form the injection port, which has conventionally been provided as a separate part, with the push button 30. As a result, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced.

A portion extending along the injection direction (axis G) in the push button 30, that is, a portion surrounding the second outlet channel 42, the injection port 40, and the gap 350 in the front wall 311, the column 34, and the protruding piece 35 of the push button 30. The nozzle part 400 for the content injection is configured. As described above, the nozzle portion 400 is integrally formed with the push button 30. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the injection port 40 in the present embodiment is a conventional product (provided in a separate injection piece ( Compared to FIG. 11), the aerosol cap 2 is positioned substantially in the center.

As described above, the front end walls 225 of the pair of side walls 22 extend so as to open in a substantially fan shape in plan view. That is, the front end walls 225 of the side walls are separated from each other and extend in a direction away from the nozzle portion 400 (particularly, the injection port 40) from the inside toward the outside. Thereby, even if the nozzle part 400 is integrally molded and the injection port 40 is located in the approximate center of the aerosol cap 2, it can prevent that an injection flow contacts a side wall front end surface. This contact prevention effect is effective even when the horizontal injection angle of the jet flow is larger than the vertical injection angle.

The radially outer end edges of the front end wall 225 are separated from each other by a distance L as shown in FIG. This distance L is preferably 20 mm or more, and more preferably 43 mm or more. When the distance L is smaller than 20 mm, the effect of preventing contact with the jet flow cannot be sufficiently obtained. On the other hand, if the distance L is 43 mm or more, the effect of preventing contact with the jet flow can be sufficiently obtained even when the horizontal jet angle of the jet flow is particularly increased. The maximum value of the distance L corresponds to the diameter of the outer wall 221 of the side wall 22.

Note that the column 34 secures the length of the second outflow passage 42 and stabilizes the injection from the injection port 40, but if the thickness of the front wall 311 and the processing accuracy of the second outflow passage 42 are sufficient, The column body 34 may be omitted, and the end face of the second outflow path 42 in the front wall 311 may be used as an injection port. In this case, the ejection pattern is determined by the gap 350 of the protruding piece 35 extending from the front wall 311.

The push button 30 is located between the pair of side walls 22 of the cap body 20, and a hinge piece 227 (FIG. 2) extending from the front lower wall 226 is coupled to the lower portion of the front end of the push button 30. Can be rotated in the vertical direction by elastically bending. A concave portion 312 (FIG. 3) extending in the vertical direction is formed at the end portion on the operation side of the peripheral wall 31 of the push button 30. Correspondingly, a convex portion 212 extending in the vertical direction is provided at the operation-side end portion of the crown portion 21 of the cap body 20, and the concave portion 312 is guided in the vertical direction. Accordingly, the push button 30 is guided by the convex portion 212 by being pushed down with a finger, is rotated downward about the hinge piece 227, and is restored to the original position by releasing the push.

In this embodiment, the cap body 20 has an outer diameter of 60 mm and a height of 50 mm, the aerosol button 30 has a front and rear length of 36 mm, a left and right width of 24 mm, and a height of 7 mm, and the column 34 has a diameter. 1.3 mm, the protruding length in the direction of the axis G is 0.5 mm, the diameter of the lead-out path 42 is 0.4 mm, the protruding piece 35 is 1.2 mm in thickness, and the protruding length in the direction of the axis G is 2.5 mm. It has become. These values are appropriately changed depending on the function and application of the aerosol container or the aerosol cap. For example, the diameter of the outlet path is 0.4 to 1 mm, preferably 0.4 to 0.8 mm. The protruding length in the direction of the axis G is set to 1 mm to 5 mm.

The cap body 20 further includes a flange 24 provided between the pair of side walls 22. The flange portion 24 extends in an arc shape between the pair of side walls 22 while being fixed to the front upper end. Therefore, even if the end surfaces of the side wall 22 on the injection direction side are largely separated from each other to prevent contact with the injection flow, the finger 24 prevents the fingers from reaching the push button. In addition, the flange portion 24 is formed between the pair of side walls in a state where the gap 25 (FIGS. 7 and 3) is formed above the nozzle portion 400 of the push button 30, in this embodiment, above the front wall 311 and the column body 34. It is fixed to. Therefore, the push button 30 does not require the movable support by the side wall and the arrangement for continuously pushing down the push button as described in the prior art, and the arrangement of the collar does not limit the shape and size of the side wall and the push button. .

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the flange portion 24 includes a reinforcing rib 241 on the lower surface. The reinforcing rib 241 is integrally formed along the flange portion 24, extends between the pair of side walls 22, and the end portion reaches the side wall 22, thereby strengthening the resistance force to the external force acting on the flange portion 24. . In particular, since the flange 24 extends long in the extending direction between the pair of side walls, the reinforcing rib 241 extending in this direction efficiently imparts a counter force against an external force. Moreover, since the edge part of the reinforcing rib 241 has reached the side wall 22, the external force which acts on the reinforcing rib is supported also by the side wall, and the reinforcing effect becomes higher. Furthermore, when the aerosol container is packaged with a shrink film, the shrink film is supported between the side walls 22 by the flange portion 24, so that occurrence of wrinkles and breakage is prevented.

The upper end surface of the flange portion 24 is provided at the same height as the upper end surface of the side wall 22 and exhibits a simple and excellent appearance in which the side wall 22 and the flange portion 24 are continuous at the upper end surface. In this way, when the upper end surface of the flange portion 24 is provided at the same height as the upper end surface of the side wall 22, a reinforcing rib 241 is provided on the lower surface of the flange portion 24 as shown, and other than the upper end surface of the flange portion 24. It can also be provided on the top surface.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, a raised portion 242 is provided at the center of the flange portion 24 in the length direction. The central portion of the flange 24 is a place where the resin flowing into the mold meets from both side walls during resin molding, and it is easy to generate a weld line, and even if it does not occur, it causes a local decrease in strength. There is. The raised portion 242 has a function of securing strength by concentrating the resin here.

The second outflow path (outflow path) 42 of the aerosol button extends to a position in the vicinity of the first outflow path (introduction path) 41 so that the injection port 40 is positioned at the radial center of the cap body 20. Based on this, when the aerosol cap is resin-molded, the mold configuration is such that the second mold for forming the second outflow passage 42 is punched away from the first mold for forming the first outflow passage 42. And the dimension of this 2nd metal mold | die can be shortened. FIG. 12 shows the main part of the second mold 4M. The second mold 4M includes a central portion 41M that forms the protruding piece 35, and a needle-like portion 42M that forms the injection port 40 and the second outflow passage 42. The central portion 41M is provided with a recess 411M for forming the column body 34. In the figure, one of the central portions 41M arranged symmetrically is shown, and the other is abbreviated by a one-dot chain line. At the time of resin molding, a region surrounded by the pair of central portions 41M and the needle-shaped portions 42M forms a part of the protruding piece 35, and a region surrounded by the concave portions 411M and the needle-shaped portions 42M of the pair of central portions 41M is a column. A body 34 is formed. In the second mold, by forming the needle-like portion 42M short, it is possible to prevent damage such as bending or bending, and to perform safe and reliable molding. As shown in the figure, the second mold 4M also has a pair of central portions 41M located close to each other and contacts the needle-shaped portion 42M in a wide area in the axial direction, so that the central portion 41M The needle-like portion 42M can be supported over a wide range at the nearest position, the support is firm, and it has high durability against repeated molding operations.

In addition, when the aerosol button is integrally formed with the cap body, the mold becomes larger as the size of the molded product increases as compared with the case of the aerosol button alone, and it takes up the needle-like portion that forms the injection port in the mold. Since the molding pressure becomes high, the needle-shaped portion may be inclined or damaged by the pressure. Therefore, when the aerosol button is integrally formed with the cap body, higher durability is required for the mold, particularly the needle-shaped portion. However, as described above, in this embodiment, the support of the needle-like part is solid and has high durability, so that even if high pressure is applied to the needle-like part by integral molding with the cap body, reliable molding is possible. It becomes.

In order to use this aerosol cap 2, the crown portion 21 may be fitted to the outer peripheral edge portion 14 of the upper portion of the can body 11 in the aerosol can 1. As a result, the valve stem 13 of the aerosol can 1 is inserted into the stem insertion hole 33. When a finger is extended to the rear gap 224 between the side walls 22 and the upper wall 32 of the push button 30 is pushed, the push button 30 is pivoted about the hinge piece 227 and lowered to push down the valve stem 13. As a result, the contents of the aerosol can 1 are injected from the injection port 40 through the first outflow passage 41 through the second outflow passage 42 and are widely diffused in the horizontal direction by the gap 350 between the pair of protruding pieces 35. It becomes a flow. When the pressing force on the push button 30 is released, the push button 30 returns to the original position by the elasticity of the hinge piece 227, and the valve stem 13 rises to stop the injection.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an aerosol cap according to another embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol cap 2a has the same basic configuration as that of the previous embodiment, including a cap body 20 having a crown portion 21 and a side wall 22, and a push button 30 connectable to a valve stem. However, in this embodiment, the flange 24a is provided at a lower position with a step from the top wall 222 of the side wall 22. The flange 24a extends in a flat plate shape and is inclined so as to slightly rise from the end on the side wall 22 side toward the injection direction. Since this inclination is in a direction along the spread of the jet flow, it is possible to more reliably prevent the jet flow from coming into contact with the flange portion 24a. The flange portion 24a includes a pair of reinforcing ribs 241a. The pair of reinforcing ribs 241a extends forward from the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the flange 24a, that is, from the front end of the side wall 22. The reinforcing rib 241a is provided at the height of the step between the side wall 22 and the flange portion 24a, thereby providing a high reinforcing effect based on a sufficient height. Further, the upper end surface of the reinforcing rib 241a is continuous with the upper end surface of the side wall 22 and reaches the upper surface of the flange portion 24a, thereby providing a simple and excellent appearance.

In the push button 30 of the aerosol cap 2a, the column 34a constituting the nozzle portion 400a extends forward from the front wall 311 of the peripheral wall 31 and reaches the vicinity of the crowned portion 21 in the radial direction. A second outflow passage 42a extending along the axis G is opened at the distal end surface to form an injection port 40. A pair of projecting pieces 35a facing in the up-down direction are provided on the front end face of the column 34a. The projecting piece 35a is configured in the same manner as in the previous embodiment, and the gap 350 between the projecting pieces 35a allows the horizontal flow with respect to the jet flow from the jet port 40, and the width in the vertical direction. By limiting this, a fan-shaped spray pattern is formed in which the horizontal spray angle is larger than the vertical spray angle and spreads in the horizontal direction.

When the aerosol cap 2a is resin-molded, the cap body 20 and the push button 30 can be integrally molded in the same manner as in the previous embodiment. However, since the column 34a extends long, the second mold that is die-cut along the second outflow path 42 also extends long. Accordingly, it is desirable to increase the strength by increasing the diameter of the second mold by making the diameter of the second outflow passage 42 larger than that of the injection port 40. In this case, the injection piece 36 which comprises the injection port 40 and the protrusion piece 35a is shape | molded as a separate member, and is couple | bonded by fitting etc. to the front-end | tip part of the column 34a.

Also in this aerosol cap 2a, the front end walls 225 on the injection direction side of the pair of side walls 22 extend substantially radially so as to open from the inner wall 223 to the outer wall 221 in a substantially fan shape in plan view. The space between the portions 21 is covered with a front lower wall 226. Therefore, the front end walls 225 of the pair of side walls 22 are separated from each other and extend in a direction away from the nozzle portion 400 as they go from the inside to the outside of the side walls. Thereby, it is prevented that an injection flow contacts a side wall end surface, and this contact prevention effect acts effectively also in the case of an injection flow wide in a horizontal direction. Since this aerosol cap 2a can be used in the same manner as in the previous embodiment, its description is omitted.

By the way, the aerosol button provided at the upper part of the aerosol container to push down the valve stem of the aerosol can is formed separately from the aerosol cap attached to the aerosol can, or it is molded together with the cap body to form the aerosol cap integrally. To do.

Since the conventional ordinary aerosol button sprays the contents of the aerosol can from the spray port having a circular cross section, the spray flow is also circular in cross section. However, as described above, in recent years, in order to obtain a larger injection flow rate by injecting at a wide angle, a configuration in which an injection part is configured so that the injection flow has a flat cross section horizontally or vertically has been proposed. It has been used. According to this configuration, it is possible to efficiently perform injection over a wide range by moving the injection flow from the aerosol container in a direction orthogonal to the flat direction.

FIG. 15 shows an example of a conventional aerosol button (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 42-9484). The aerosol button 300 includes an introduction path 301 that extends along the valve stem of the aerosol can and a lead-out path 302 that bends and extends from the introduction path. A pair of projecting pieces 304 facing each other in the vertical direction are provided at the end of the aerosol button on the injection side, and a gap 305 extending in the horizontal direction is formed between the projecting pieces 304. The injection port 303 at the end of the lead-out path 302 is open at the end face on the heel side of the gap 305. The gap 305 allows the jet flow from the jet port 303 to diffuse in the horizontal direction and restricts the width in the vertical direction, thereby forming a flat jet pattern in the horizontal direction. This flat injection pattern is advantageous for a wide range of injections and injections to elongated portions.

When the aerosol button 300 is resin-molded, the mold is divided into a first mold that is die-cut along the introduction path 301 and a second mold that is die-cut along the lead-out path 302 in a direction away from the introduction path. And are used. FIG. 16 shows a main part of an example of the second mold 5M. The second mold 5M includes a plate-like portion 51M extending in the horizontal direction for forming the gap 305 between the protruding pieces 304, a needle-like portion 52M for forming the injection port 303, and an empty space in front of the protruding piece 305. And a disc-like portion 53M for forming the location 307, and the needle-like portion 52M extends rearward from the heel-side end of the plate-like portion 51M. In the figure, one of the mold parts arranged symmetrically is shown, and the other is abbreviated by a one-dot chain line. The plate-like portion 51M and the needle-like portion 52M can be released in a direction away from the first mold because there is no enlarged diameter portion in the middle. Further, since the injection port 303 is disposed in the vicinity of the valve stem (introduction path 301), the needle-like portion 52M of the mold is formed short, and as a result, the needle-like portion is prevented from being bent or broken. Therefore, safe and reliable molding is possible.

However, the aerosol button 300 is formed so that the pair of protruding pieces 304 have a wide width in the horizontal direction in order to obtain a flat spray pattern in the horizontal direction. As a result, the width of the opposed edge portions 306 of the pair of protruding pieces 304 as viewed in the direction orthogonal to the opposed direction was significantly larger than the diameter of the injection port (in this example, about 6 times). As a result, the jet flow is subjected to strong resistance in the gap 305 after exiting the jet port. As a result, the straightness of the injection is poor and the injection flow rate is lowered, making it difficult to inject the medicine far. Further, when the jet flow stays or adheres to the vicinity of the jet port, there is a possibility that dripping occurs or the contents are clogged in the flow path. In particular, in the case of a powdered content, there is a strong tendency for powder to remain in the flow path by clogging due to drying.

In this way, a pair of wide protruding pieces arranged in front of the injection port is used to obtain a flat injection pattern in the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, etc. as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-205145. Although it has been considered to be a necessary structure above, as a result, it has been difficult to obtain an appropriate and stable jet flow.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16, in the second mold 5M for molding the aerosol button 300 with the resin, the plate-like portion 51M extends thinly and widely in the horizontal direction, so that the strength of this portion of the mold is inferior. Moreover, since the needle-like portion 52M is supported only by the rear end portion of the plate-like portion 51M, the support is fragile. As a result, there has been a problem that the plate-like portion 51M and the needle-like portion 52M are likely to be damaged such as bends and breaks, and lack durability against repeated molding operations.

Therefore, it is desired to provide an aerosol button and an aerosol cap that can solve these problems, obtain an appropriate and stable jet flow, and have a superior mold durability during resin molding.

As an improved aerosol button that meets this demand, an aerosol button that can be connected to the valve stem of an aerosol can and has a nozzle portion formed with an injection port for the contents of the aerosol can, the contents being the valve stem From the periphery of the injection port and a protruding piece extending in the injection direction, the flow channel including an introduction path extending along the valve stem, A lead-out path that is bent in a direction crossing the introduction path and opened to the injection port, the injection port is disposed in the vicinity of the valve stem, and the protruding piece has a direction crossing the injection direction as an opposing direction. Opposing edges are positioned so as to limit diffusion in the facing direction with respect to the jet flow and allow diffusion in a direction perpendicular to the facing direction. It is possible to provide an aerosol button, wherein a width as viewed in the direction orthogonal to the opposing direction is the diameter substantially equal width of the injection port.

Also, as an improved aerosol cap that meets the above requirements, an aerosol cap in which the aerosol button is integrally formed with the cap body or an aerosol cap provided with the aerosol button as a separate body can be provided. In this case, the injection port is located at a substantially central portion in the radial direction of the cap body.

The improved aerosol button includes a flow path for guiding contents from the valve stem to the outside of the aerosol button through the injection port. The flow path includes an introduction path extending along the valve stem, and the introduction path. And a lead-out path that is bent in a transverse direction and opened at the injection port. Thereby, the injection direction of the contents injected from the injection port is determined.

The aerosol button further includes a protruding piece extending in the injection direction from the peripheral edge of the injection port, and the protruding piece is arranged to face the direction crossing the injection direction as the opposite direction, and diffuses in the opposite direction with respect to the jet flow. The opposing edge is located to limit and allow diffusion in a direction perpendicular to the opposing direction. Due to the opposing arrangement of the protruding pieces, the jet flow has an injection angle in the diffusion permissible direction larger than the injection angle in the regulation direction, and a flat injection pattern wide in the diffusion permissible direction is obtained. This spray pattern can be rapidly sprayed over a wide range by moving the spray flow in a direction crossing the flat direction. In addition, it is easy to inject into an elongated portion corresponding to the flat shape.

Furthermore, the width of the opposing edge of the protruding piece viewed in the direction orthogonal to the opposing direction is substantially the same as the diameter of the injection port. Thus, since the width of the protruding piece is reduced so as to be approximately the same width as the injection port, the resistance to the injection flow is small. As a result, while enabling wide-angle spraying, it is excellent in ensuring straightness of injection and the injection flow rate, and a large amount of medicine can be injected far. In addition, the effect of preventing dripping due to the stay or adhering of the jet flow in the vicinity of the injection port, and the effect of preventing the content from being clogged in the flow path (particularly the content containing powder) (In the case of a thing, the effect is large). As a result, an appropriate and stable jet flow can be obtained.

¡In the mold for resin molding of aerosol buttons, the portions that form the injection port and the outlet path are elongated in a needle shape. In this regard, in the present invention, since the width of the opposing edge portion of the protruding piece is reduced, the mold has adjacent portions (41M) that form adjacent protruding pieces (41M) as shown in FIG. 12, for example. And the contact area between the portion (41M) forming the protruding piece and the needle-like portion (42M) is large. As a result, the strength of the portion that supports the needle-like portion (42M) is high, and the needle-like portion (42M) can be supported over a wide range at the nearest position, so that the support becomes firm and the mold is repeated. It has high durability against the molding operation.

The width of the opposing edge of this protruding piece is preferably 1 to 2 times the diameter of the injection port. If the width of the opposing edge is smaller than the diameter of the injection port, it is difficult to remove the second mold during resin molding. Further, when the width of the opposed edge exceeds twice the diameter of the injection port, the resistance exerted by the protruding piece on the injection flow increases, and the straightness of injection and the injection flow rate decrease.

The improved aerosol cap has the same effect as described above as a result of the provision of the aerosol button having the above structure.

As described above, it is possible to provide an aerosol button and an aerosol cap that can obtain an appropriate and stable jet flow and have a superior mold durability during resin molding.

The examples shown in FIGS. 2 to 9 correspond to the above-described improved aerosol button and aerosol cap. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing another example of the main part of the improved aerosol cap, and FIG. 14 is a front view of the aerosol cap shown in FIG. The illustrated portion shows a portion extending forward from the front wall 311 of the aerosol button 30 shown in FIGS. In the aerosol cap 2a, a pair of projecting pieces 35a project in the direction along the axis G on both sides of the column 34a and are provided in a pair facing each other in the horizontal direction. The gap 350a between the projecting pieces 35a allows the vertical flow of the jet flow from the jet port 40a and limits the horizontal width. Thereby, the injection flow from the injection port 40a has a vertical injection angle larger than the horizontal injection angle, and a flat injection pattern wide in the vertical direction is obtained. The opposing edge portion 351a of the protruding piece 35a has a width viewed in a direction orthogonal to the opposing direction and substantially the same width as the diameter of the injection port. Thus, since the width of the protruding piece is reduced to be substantially the same width as the injection port, the resistance to the injection flow is small, and as a result, it is excellent in ensuring the straightness of injection and the injection flow rate, and a large amount of medicine Can be sprayed far. In this embodiment, the front end surface of the column 34a is provided with an upper portion 341a and a lower portion 342a located on both sides of the protruding piece 35a at the same position in the front-rear direction. Further, a reinforcing plate 37a extending in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the protruding piece is provided on the outer side in the width direction of the protruding piece 35a.

In the mold for resin molding the aerosol cap 2a, since the width of the opposing edge portion 351a of the protruding piece 35a is reduced, the protruding piece 35a is formed in the same manner as described in the previous embodiment. The parts adjacent to each other are located close to each other, and as a result, the needle-like part is supported over a wide range at the nearest position, the support is firm, and has high durability against repeated molding operations. It becomes.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this, A various change is possible unless it deviates from the meaning. In the above embodiment, the aerosol cap has been described as an example. However, by forming an aerosol button having the same configuration as an integral body or as a separate body, the same operational effects as described for the aerosol cap can be obtained. it can. For example, if the strength of the ridge is sufficient, the reinforcing rib can be omitted. Moreover, if the insertion of fingers from the jetting direction side can be prevented and the shrink film can be supported, the ridge can be formed by cutting out a part of the extending direction. Furthermore, in order to obtain the effects of the above-described improved aerosol button and aerosol cap, the scissors are not always necessary and can be omitted.

The jet flow can be a jet pattern that spreads in the vertical direction, or a jet pattern that spreads equally in the horizontal and vertical directions. The former injection pattern can be formed, for example, by making a pair of protruding pieces face each other in the horizontal direction. The latter injection pattern is formed, for example, by providing a projecting piece having a circular hole having a diameter larger than that of the injection port at the center, or by omitting the projecting piece and directly injecting from the injection port. can do.

In addition to being coupled to the cap body so as to be able to rotate in the vertical direction, the push button can also be provided so as to be slidable in the vertical direction while being guided by a recess recessed from the top of the cap body. For example, it can be set as the structure which provided the elastic force upwards with elastic members, such as a spring arrange | positioned at a recessed part.

The cap body, the push button, and the projecting piece may be formed as a whole, or a part or each of them may be separately molded and bonded to each other by bonding, fitting, screwing, or the like.

1:

Aerosol

2, 2a: Aerosol cap 13: Valve stem 20: Cap body 21: Crowning portion 22:

Side wall

24, 24a: Gutter 30: Push button 40:

Injection port

241, 241a: Reinforcement rib 400, 400a: Nozzle part

Claims

A cap main body having a cylindrical crown covering the outer peripheral edge of the upper portion of the aerosol can, and a pair of side walls extending upward from the crown;
A push button that is connectable to the valve stem of the aerosol can, has a nozzle part formed with an injection port for the contents of the aerosol can, and is positioned between the side walls of the cap body in a state connected to the valve stem;
A flange provided between the pair of side walls on the injection direction side of the cap body,
The pair of side walls form a gap for allowing fingers to reach the injection button at the end opposite to the injection direction, and the end surface on the injection direction side increases from the inner side to the outer side of the side wall. Extending in a direction away from the nozzle,
The flange portion is fixed between the pair of side walls in a state where a gap is formed above the nozzle portion,
The aerosol cap according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle portion of the push button is set such that a horizontal injection angle of a jet flow from the injection port is larger than a vertical injection angle.
The push button includes a first outflow passage that can communicate with the stem of the aerosol can, and a second outflow passage that bends from the first outflow passage and extends in the injection direction to form the injection port at the tip. 2. The aerosol cap according to claim 1, wherein the two outflow passages extend to a position in the vicinity of the first outflow passage so that the injection port is located in a radial center portion of the cap main body.
The push button includes a protruding piece extending in an injection direction from an end surface on the injection port side, and the protruding piece allows diffusion in a horizontal direction with respect to an injection flow from the injection port and has a width in a vertical direction. The aerosol cap according to claim 1, wherein the aerosol cap is provided so as to be opposed in the vertical direction.