JP2024158741A - Pump type discharge device - Google Patents

Abstract

To propose a pump type discharge device which is excellent in recyclability and can discharge content fluid with the same use feeling as conventional discharge devices.SOLUTION: A pump type discharge device 100 includes: a cap 10 attached to a mouth part of a container which contains content fluid; a pump which is held in the mouth part by the cap 10 and driven by a step 7a moving forward or rearward; a head having a discharge port 12a for discharging the content fluid to an outside world and connected to the stem 7a; and an elastic body 13 which is located between the cap 10 and the head, pushed to be contracted when the head is moved to the cap 10, and made of a synthetic resin. The elastic body 13 includes: a base end part 13a which forms an annular shape and is in contact with the cap; and an elastic part 13b which spirally extends along an axis O of the stem 7a in a direction going around the axis O and in which a root part 13c is integrally connected to the base end part 13a and a tip 13d is in contact with the head.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a pump-type dispenser.

A known pump-type dispenser includes a cap that is attached to the mouth of a container, a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap and is driven by the back and forth movement of a stem, and a head that is connected to the stem; the liquid contents in the container are dispensed from the head's outlet by moving the head toward the cap (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

As shown in Patent Document 1, inside such a pump-type dispenser, a coil spring is provided to return the head that has been moved toward the cap to its initial position.

JP 2011-31950 A

However, in this type of pump type dispenser, most of the components are made of synthetic resin, but the coil spring is made of metal. Therefore, when it is discarded after use, it cannot be recycled as a resin product in this state. In addition, in general, in this type of pump type dispenser, the components are firmly fixed to each other, for example, by fitting, to prevent the components from coming off during normal use. Therefore, it is time-consuming to disassemble the pump type dispenser and separate the coil spring from the other components.
In addition, when the inventors investigated using a synthetic resin elastic body shaped like a coil spring (one end is annular, extends in a spiral shape from there, and the other end is also annular), it was found that when the elastic force required to return the head to its initial position was obtained, a greater force was required to press the head than when a metal coil spring was used. Thus, simply changing the material resulted in a worsening usability compared to the conventional method.

The present invention aims to solve these problems by proposing a pump-type dispenser that is easy to recycle and can dispense the liquid contents with the same feel as conventional dispensers.

The present invention provides a pump-type dispenser comprising: a cap attached to the mouth of a container that contains a liquid content; a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap and is driven by the back and forth movement of a stem; and a head that has a discharge port for discharging the liquid content to the outside and is connected to the stem, the head being moved toward the cap to discharge the liquid content in the container from the discharge port,
a synthetic resin elastic body is provided between the cap and the head, the elastic body being compressed when the head is moved toward the cap;
The elastic body is a pump-type dispenser having a ring-shaped base end that contacts the cap, and an elastic portion that extends spirally along the axis of the stem and in a direction circumnavigating the axis, with a root portion integrally connected to the base end and a tip portion that contacts the head.

It is preferable that the cross-sectional shape of the elastic portion along the axis is rectangular, with the horizontal length perpendicular to the axis being longer than the vertical length along the axis.

It is preferable that the elastic portion has an enlarged portion whose longitudinal length increases from the tip portion toward the base portion.

It is preferable that the elastic portion has a reduced portion near the base portion, the length of which decreases in the vertical direction from the expanded portion toward the base portion.

It is preferable that a pair of the elastic parts are provided facing each other along the axis.

After much research, the inventors found that by providing a synthetic resin elastic body between the cap and the head, and configuring this elastic body to have a ring-shaped base end that contacts the cap, and an elastic part that extends spirally along the axis of the stem and in a direction circling the axis, with its root part integrally connected to the base end and its tip part contacting the head, it is possible to obtain a similar feel to that of a conventional pump-type dispenser that uses a metal coil spring. Furthermore, since the elastic body is made of synthetic resin, there is no need to separate it when disposing of it, as with conventional pump-type dispensers that use metal coil springs, and it can be reused as a resin product together with the other components that make up the pump-type dispenser, making it highly recyclable.

1 is a cross-sectional side view of one embodiment of a pump-type dispenser according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the elastic body shown in FIG. 1 . 2B is a view of the elastic body shown in FIG. 2A taken along the arrow A in FIG. 2A. 2B is a view of the elastic body shown in FIG. 2A taken along the arrow B in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2B is a plan view of the elastic body shown in FIG. 2A. FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view taken along CC shown in FIG. 2C. FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD shown in FIG. 2C.

The pump-type dispenser 100, which is one embodiment of the pump-type dispenser according to the present invention, will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the like, the up-down direction refers to the direction along the illustrated axis O (the central axis of the stem 7a described later), with the side on which the pipe 4 is located being the "bottom" and the side on which the head body 11 is located being the "top". The radial direction is the direction perpendicular to the axis O in a plane perpendicular to the axis O, and the circumferential direction is the direction rotating around the axis O in this plane.

The pump-type dispenser 100 of this embodiment is used by attaching it to the mouth of a bottle-shaped container (not shown). The liquid content to be dispensed by the pump-type dispenser 100 is, for example, a cosmetic product (such as a milky lotion or a toner), shampoo, body soap, hand soap, facial cleanser, etc.

The pump-type dispenser 100 is composed of a cylinder 1, a valve member 2, a pipe 4, an internal member 5, a piston 6, a cylindrical member 7, a holder 8, a packing 9, a cap 10, a head body 11, a nozzle 12, and an elastic body 13. Here, the cylinder 1, the valve member 2, the internal member 5, the piston 6, the cylindrical member 7, and the holder 8 are members constituting the "pump" in this specification, and the head body 11 and the nozzle 12 are members constituting the "head" in this specification. Among the above-mentioned members, the valve member 2, the piston 6, and the packing 9 are made of elastic soft synthetic resin (e.g., polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE, foamed PE)), and the other members are made of hard synthetic resin (e.g., polypropylene (PP), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyacetal (POM), polyketone (POK) resin, etc.). The elastic body 13 in this embodiment is made of polypropylene (PP). Each component that makes up the pump-type dispenser 100 is basically shaped around the axis O.

The cylinder 1 has a disk-shaped bottom wall 1a with a central portion protruding upward, a cylindrical tube wall 1b rising from the outer edge of the bottom wall 1a, and a flange wall 1c extending radially outward from the upper portion of the tube wall 1b. A through hole (suction port 1d) is provided in the protruding central portion of the bottom wall 1a. A cylindrical retaining tube 1e is provided on the underside of the bottom wall 1a, surrounding the suction port 1d and extending downward, to hold the pipe 4. A through hole (vent hole 1f) is provided in the tube wall 1b.

The valve member 2 has a base 2a located inside the cylinder 1, a valve body 2b that covers the suction port 1d and sits on the top surface of the bottom wall 1a, and an elastically deformable connecting piece 2c that connects the base 2a and the valve body 2b. The valve member 2 functions as a check valve, and when the pressure inside the cylinder 1 is reduced, the valve body 2b that has been closing the suction port 1d moves away from the bottom wall 1a to open the suction port 1d.

In this embodiment, the base 2a is cylindrical with a lid and has a rod-shaped part in the center of the top, and further has an opening (not shown) through which the liquid contents pass after passing through the suction port 1d. The base 2a is fitted and held against the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 1b, so that the valve member 2 is held within the cylinder 1.

The pipe 4 is hollow, and its upper end is inserted into the retaining tube 1e and is held in place by fitting therein.

The internal member 5 is disposed inside the cylinder 1 and moves up and down relative to the cylinder 1. The internal member 5 is provided with a cylindrical connecting tube 5a with a closed lower end. The connecting tube 5a has an upper communication port 5b that penetrates it in the radial direction. The lower part of the connecting tube 5a protrudes radially outward. The internal member 5 also has a lower tube portion 5c that connects to the lower end of the connecting tube 5a. The area where the connecting tube 5a and the lower tube portion 5c are connected has through holes (lower communication ports 5d) that are spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

The piston 6 is inserted through the connecting tube 5a and positioned above the lower tube portion 5c. The piston 6 in this embodiment has a circular base portion 6a. An outer sliding piece 6b extending upward and downward from the base portion 6a is provided on the outer edge of the base portion 6a. The outer sliding piece 6b slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the inner peripheral surface of the tube wall portion 1b. An inner sliding piece 6c extending upward and downward from the base portion 6a is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the base portion 6a. The lower end of the inner sliding piece 6c slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the lower portion of the connecting tube 5a, and the upper portion slidably and liquid-tightly contacts the inner peripheral surface of the enlarged diameter portion 7b of the tubular member 7, which will be described later.

The tubular member 7 is a member that is generally tubular. The tubular member 7 has a cylindrical stem 7a and an expanded diameter portion 7b that is connected to the lower end of the stem 7a and has a larger diameter than the stem 7a. When the connecting tube 5a is inserted into the stem 7a, the two are fitted together, so that the internal member 5 and the tubular member 7 move together relative to the cylinder 1.

The holder 8 has a portion located radially outward of the stem 7a and a portion located radially outward of the enlarged diameter portion 7b, and is equipped with a holder base 8a that is fitted and held against the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall portion 1b. A flange 8b that extends radially outward is provided at the upper end of the holder base 8a. The holder 8 prevents the internal member 5, piston 6, and cylindrical member 7 from slipping out of the cylinder 1.

The packing 9 is in the shape of a circular ring plate, and is inserted into and held in the cylindrical wall portion 1b of the cylinder 1. When the pump-type dispenser 100 is attached to a container (not shown), the packing 9 is sandwiched between the mouth of the container and the flange wall 1c. This prevents problems such as the contents spilling out of the mouth when the container is turned over, for example.

The cap 10 has a disk-shaped top wall 10a with a through hole in the center. The center of the top surface of the top wall 10a extends horizontally, and the outer edge is inclined downward. The bottom surface of the top wall 10a is provided with a cylindrical inner peripheral wall 10b extending downward. The upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall 10b can bulge radially inward to fit and hold the flange wall 1c, thereby holding the cylinder 1 in the cap 10. The inner peripheral surface of the inner peripheral wall 10b is provided with a female threaded portion 10c that screws into a male threaded portion provided at the mouth of the container, and the cap 10 can be attached to the container by screwing the male threaded portion and the female threaded portion 10c. The bottom surface of the inner peripheral wall 10b is provided with an outer peripheral wall 10d that is located radially outward of the inner peripheral wall 10b and surrounds the inner peripheral wall 10b all around.

The cap 10 also has a cylindrical cap peripheral wall 10e that extends upward from the upper surface of the top wall 10a.

The head body 11 is cylindrical and has a tubular portion 11a that is inserted into the inside of the stem 7a and is fitted and held therein. A top portion 11b having a passage inside that leads to the tubular portion 11a is provided at the upper portion of the tubular portion 11a, and a mounting recess 11c that leads to this passage is provided in the top portion 11b. A support protrusion 11d that protrudes downward is provided on the inside of the top portion 11b. In this embodiment, a pair of support protrusions 11d are provided to face the axis O. Furthermore, a cylindrical head peripheral wall 11e is provided on the underside of the top portion 11b and located radially outward of the support protrusions 11d.

The nozzle 12 is generally cylindrical and is shaped so that the tip is tapered. The nozzle 12 is inserted into the mounting recess 11c and is fitted and held in the head body 11. The tip of the nozzle 12 is provided with an outlet 12a through which the liquid content is discharged from a container (not shown).

The elastic body 13 is disposed between the cap 10 and the head body 11 as shown in FIG. 1, and is shaped to have the shape shown in FIG. 2A to FIG. 2F. The elastic body 13 has a base end 13a that is annular (circular in this embodiment). When the elastic body 13 is disposed between the cap 10 and the head body 11 as shown in FIG. 1, the base end 13a is supported by the cap 10 with the stem 7a inserted through the central hole inside the cap peripheral wall 10e and in contact with the upper surface of the top wall 10a.

The elastic body 13 also extends spirally along the axis O and in a direction circling the axis O, and includes an elastic portion 13b that is elastically deformable so as to be compressed in a direction along the axis O. In this embodiment, a pair of elastic portions 13b are provided facing the axis O.

The elastic portion 13b in this embodiment is generally composed of a lower end, an upper end, and an intermediate portion. The lower end (root portion 13c) of the elastic portion 13b is integrally connected to the base end 13a. The upper end (tip portion 13d) of the elastic portion 13b is provided with an outer tip portion 13e extending horizontally as shown in FIG. 2B, and an inner tip portion 13f located radially inside the outer tip portion 13e and extending spirally so as to protrude upward from the outer tip portion 13e. When the elastic body 13 is disposed between the cap 10 and the head main body 11 as shown in FIG. 1, the outer tip portion 13e of the elastic portion 13b contacts the lower surface of the support protrusion 11d inside the head peripheral wall 11e, and the inner tip portion 13f is located radially inside the support protrusion 11d and contacts the inner surface of the support protrusion 11d.

As shown in Figs. 2E and 2F, the middle part of the elastic part 13b in this embodiment is shaped so that the cross-sectional shape in the direction along the axis O is rectangular in which the horizontal length perpendicular to the axis O is longer than the vertical length along the axis O. That is, the cross-sectional shape in the direction along the axis O in the vicinity of the tip 13d of the elastic part 13b shown in Fig. 2E is a rectangle that satisfies the relationship of vertical length Y1 < horizontal length X, and the cross-sectional shape in the direction along the axis O in the middle part of the elastic part 13b shown in Fig. 2F is a rectangle that satisfies the relationship of vertical length Y2 < horizontal length X. That is, the cross-sectional shape in the direction along the axis O of the elastic part 13b is a horizontally long rectangle from the tip 13d to the entire area of the base 13c.

The middle part of the elastic part 13b is composed of a part located on the upper side (hereinafter referred to as the enlarged part 13h) and a part located on the lower side of the enlarged part 13h near the base part 13c (hereinafter referred to as the reduced part 13g). The vertical length of the enlarged part 13h increases from the top to the bottom. In other words, compared to the vertical length Y1 near the tip part 13d of the elastic part 13b shown in Figure 2E, the vertical length Y2 is longer at a position lower than that as shown in Figure 2F, and the enlarged part 13h is shaped to satisfy the relationship of vertical length Y1 < vertical length Y2.

The reduced portion 13g has a shorter vertical length going from top to bottom. In this embodiment, the reduced portion 13g is located between the expanded portion 13h and the base portion 13c, within an angle range of approximately 60° around the axis O. The portion of the elastic portion 13b excluding the reduced portion 13g is the expanded portion 13h, and in this embodiment, the expanded portion 13h occupies the majority of the elastic portion 13b.

In the state shown in FIG. 1, the pump-type dispenser 100 constructed from such members has the elastic portion 13b in a slightly compressed state and the head body 11 in a raised state (the head body 11 is retracted from the cap 10).

When the head body 11 is pressed from above to lower the head body 11 (the head body 11 is advanced toward the cap 10), the stem 7a is pressed down together with the head body 11 (the stem 7a moves toward the cap 10 along the axis O). As the stem 7a is pressed down, the connecting tube 5a also descends, and the liquid-tight contact between the lower part of the connecting tube 5a and the lower end of the inner sliding piece 6c is released. When the head body 11 is pressed down further, the piston 6 also descends together with the cylindrical member 7 and the internal member 5, and the inside of the cylinder 1 is pressurized. As a result, the liquid content in the cylinder 1 passes through the lower communication port 5d and the upper communication port 5b, passes through the passages provided inside the connecting tube 5a, the stem 7a, the cylindrical part 11a, and the top part 11b, passes through the inside of the nozzle 12, and is discharged from the discharge port 12a to the outside world. When the head body 11 is pressed and the piston 6 descends below the vent 1f, the container (not shown) communicates with the outside world via the vent 1f. This prevents the pressure inside the container from becoming negative even if the liquid contained in the container decreases, preventing the container from being deformed or crushed. When the head body 11 is lowered, the elastic portion 13b is elastically deformed so as to be compressed.

When the pressure on the head body 11 is then released, the restoring force of the elastically deformed elastic portion 13b acts on the head body 11, causing it to begin to rise. As a result, the piston 6 rises together with the internal member 5 while the lower end of the inner sliding piece 6c again comes into liquid-tight contact with the lower portion of the connecting tube 5a, reducing the pressure inside the cylinder 1. As a result, the valve body portion 2b separates from the bottom wall portion 1a, opening the suction port 1d, and the liquid content in the container can be sucked into the cylinder 1 through the pipe 4.

Here, the effect obtained by the elastic body 13 of this embodiment will be explained. As described above, when a synthetic resin elastic body having one end in a circular shape, extending in a spiral from there, and having the other end in a circular shape, like a conventional metal coil spring, was used, it was found that when the elastic force required for the head to return to its initial position was obtained, a larger force was required to press the head than when a metal coil spring was used. On the other hand, in the elastic body 13 of this embodiment, which has a ring-shaped base end 13a that contacts the cap 10, and an elastic part 13b that extends in a spiral shape along the axis O and in a direction circling the axis O, with the root part 13c integrally connected to the base end 13a and the tip part 13d contacting the head body 11, it was confirmed that a similar feeling of use to that of a conventional pump-type dispenser using a metal coil spring was obtained. In particular, the elastic body 13 of this embodiment has a reduced portion 13g in the vicinity of the base portion 13c, the vertical length of which decreases from the top to the bottom as shown in FIG. 2C, and the base portion 13c is the thinnest in the elastic portion 13b. The elastic body 13 also has an expanded portion 13h whose vertical length increases from the top to the bottom. Therefore, when the head body 11 is pressed, the elastic portion 13b generally first elastically deforms so as to bend starting from the base portion 13c, then the upper side of the expanded portion 13h begins to elastically deform, and furthermore, it behaves so as to gradually elastically deform toward the lower side. By elastically deforming the elastic portion 13b in this manner, the weight felt by the user when starting to press the head body 11 can be reduced, and the weight gradually increases, providing a good feeling of use.

In addition, when the elastic portion 13b was examined in more detail by structural analysis using a 3D model, it was found that when the cross-sectional shape in the direction along the axis O is a rectangle in which the horizontal length perpendicular to the axis O is shorter than the vertical length along the axis O (i.e., a vertically long rectangle), when a force is applied downward, the tip portion 13d moves radially outward (the tip portion 13d moves away from the axis O), and the pressing force is not easily applied to the entire elastic portion 13b, and therefore it is difficult to obtain a restoring force that is commensurate with the pressing force. On the other hand, when the cross-sectional shape in the direction along the axis O is a rectangle in which the horizontal length perpendicular to the axis O is longer than the vertical length along the axis O (i.e., a horizontally long rectangle), as in the elastic portion 13b of this embodiment, when a force is applied downward, the tip portion 13d moves downward, and it is found that the pressing force is easily applied to the entire elastic portion 13b. In particular, in this embodiment, the inner tip 13f is located radially inside the support protrusion 11d, so even if the head body 11 is pushed down at an angle inclined relative to the axis O, the tip 13d can be prevented from moving radially outward.

In addition, it was found that if the vertical length of the cross-sectional shape in the direction along the above-mentioned axis O is uniform from the tip 13d to the base 13c, when a force is applied downward, the entire elastic portion 13b behaves as if it resists this force, making it difficult for the elastic portion 13b to elastically deform. On the other hand, in the case of the elastic portion 13b of this embodiment, which has an enlarged portion 13h in which the vertical length of the cross-sectional shape in the direction along the axis O increases from the tip 13d to the base 13c, the entire elastic portion 13b does not behave as if it resists this force, and the elastic portion 13b can be elastically deformed well.

The pressure applied to the head body 11 (the magnitude, direction, speed, etc. of the force applied) may vary depending on the user's usage method and the conditions of use. As described above, the elastic portion 13b in this embodiment is thinnest at the base portion 13c. Therefore, even if such variations occur, the elastic portion 13b can be elastically deformed each time starting from the base portion 13c, providing a stable feel when used.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention described in the claims unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description. For example, the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment can be added or deleted as appropriate, and the configuration of one embodiment can be applied to other embodiments. Furthermore, the effects of the above-mentioned embodiment are merely examples of the effects resulting from the present invention, and do not mean that the effects of the present invention are limited to the above-mentioned effects.

For example, the pump described above is merely an example, and the present invention also includes cases where other types of pumps are used. Furthermore, the base end 13a of the elastic body 13 is not limited to being annular as shown in the figure, but may be an annular shape that is polygonal in plan view (for example, a rectangular annular shape). Furthermore, the number of elastic portions 13b is not limited to two as in this embodiment, but may be one or three or more.

1: Cylinder 1a: Bottom wall 1b: Cylinder wall 1c: Flange wall 1d: Suction port 1e: Retaining cylinder 1f: Vent 2: Valve member 2a: Base 2b: Valve body 2c: Connecting piece 4: Pipe 5: Internal member 5a: Connecting cylinder 5b: Upper communication port 5c: Lower cylinder 5d: Lower communication port 6: Piston 6a: Base 6b: Outer sliding piece 6c: Inner sliding piece 7: Cylindrical member 7a: Stem 7b: Expanded diameter portion 8: Holder 8a: Holder base 8b: Flange 9: Gasket 10: Cylinder Cap 10a: Top wall 10b: Inner peripheral wall 10c: Female threaded portion 10d: Outer peripheral wall 10e: Cap peripheral wall 11: Head body 11a: Cylindrical portion 11b: Top portion 11c: Mounting recess 11d: Support projection 11e: Head peripheral wall 12: Nozzle 12a: Discharge port 13: Elastic body 13a: Base end portion 13b: Elastic portion 13c: Base portion 13d: Tip portion 13e: Outer tip portion 13f: Inner tip portion 13g: Reduced portion 13h: Expanded portion 100: Pump-type discharger O: Axis

Claims (5)

A pump-type dispenser comprising: a cap that is attached to the mouth of a container that contains a liquid content; a pump that is held at the mouth by the cap and is driven by the back and forth movement of a stem; and a head that has a discharge port for discharging the liquid content to the outside and is connected to the stem, the head being moved toward the cap to discharge the liquid content in the container from the discharge port,
a synthetic resin elastic body is provided between the cap and the head, the elastic body being compressed when the head is moved toward the cap;
The elastic body is a pump-type dispenser having a base end that is annular and contacts the cap, and an elastic portion that extends spirally along the axis of the stem and in a direction circumferentially around the axis, with a root portion integrally connected to the base end and a tip portion that contacts the head. The pump-type discharger according to claim 1, wherein the elastic portion has a cross-sectional shape along the axis that is rectangular in shape, with the horizontal length perpendicular to the axis being longer than the vertical length along the axis. The pump-type dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the elastic portion has an enlarged portion whose longitudinal length increases from the tip portion toward the base portion. The pump-type dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the elastic portion has a contracted portion in the vicinity of the base portion, the length of the elastic portion decreasing in the vertical direction from the expanded portion toward the base portion. The pump-type discharger according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the elastic portion is provided in a pair in an arrangement facing the axis.

Images