JP7149750B2 - foam dispenser - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to foam dispensers.

Examples of foam dispensers for foaming and ejecting a liquid agent include ejection containers (foam dispensers) described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below. The ejection container of Patent Document 1 can mix a liquid agent and a gas to generate a foamy liquid agent and eject the foamy liquid agent (foam agent) to the outside of the ejection container. In addition, the discharge container disclosed in Patent Document 1 below is provided with a porous body at the discharge port. A liquid agent is ejected. Further, in Patent Document 2 below, a liquid agent is sprayed in a space provided in the vicinity of an ejection port, the liquid agent and air are mixed in the space, and the liquid agent and air are passed through a porous body provided in the ejection port to generate bubbles. A foam-generating device (foam dispenser) is disclosed for producing a liquid formulation in the form of a liquid.

JP 2018-052601 A JP-A-62-210068

However, depending on how the user uses the foam dispenser and the characteristics of the liquid agent contained in the foam dispenser, fine and uniform bubbles may not be obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a foam ejector capable of ejecting a foamed liquid agent that is miniaturized and has improved uniformity.

In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a mixing unit that mixes a liquid agent and a gas to foam the liquid agent, an ejection port that ejects the foamed liquid agent, and the ejection port. a flow path that communicates with an outlet and supplies the foamed liquid agent from the mixing unit to the ejection port, wherein the ejection port is provided with a first porous member. and the cross-sectional area of the flow path perpendicular to the supply direction of the foamed liquid agent expands in the supply direction on the upstream side of the first porous member, The foam dispenser, wherein the cross-sectional area of the channel at the outlet is greater than or equal to 1.2 times the minimum cross-sectional area of the channel.

As described above, according to the foam ejector of the present invention, it is possible to eject a fine foamed liquid agent with improved uniformity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is explanatory drawing which shows the external appearance of the foam discharge container 10 which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a part of the side cross section of the foam discharge cap 200 according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of a head section 230 according to the first embodiment of the present invention; It is an explanatory view showing a side section of head part 230 concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the side cross-section shown in Figure 4; FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of a head portion 230a according to a second embodiment of the present invention; It is an explanatory view showing a side section of head part 230a concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the side cross-section shown in Figure 7; FIG. 2 is captured images (photographs) of foamy liquid agents discharged from the foam discharge containers of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 into sample containers. FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a side cross section of a head portion 530 according to a comparative example; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the side cross-section shown in FIG. 10;

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description. In addition, in this specification and drawings, similar components of different embodiments may be distinguished by attaching different alphabets after the same reference numerals. However, when there is no particular need to distinguish between similar components, only the same reference numerals are used.

The drawings referred to in the following description are drawings for describing the embodiments of the present invention and for promoting understanding thereof. There is In addition, the description of a specific shape in the following description does not mean only the case of geometrically the shape, and the It means that shapes similar to shapes are also included. For example, in the following description, the expression "disc-like" is not limited to a plate having a perfectly circular surface, but also means a plate having a surface with a shape similar to a perfect circle such as an ellipse. It will happen. Furthermore, "substantially the same" used for specific diameter sizes and lengths in the following description does not mean only when they are completely matched mathematically or geometrically. It is also meant to include sizes and lengths that have a degree of variation that is acceptable in the manufacture and use of the dispensing container (eg, a slack for ease of manufacture).

Also, in the following description, the vertical direction is determined based on the foam discharge container according to the embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the vertical direction in the following description means the vertical direction in the case where the container main body storing the liquid agent is arranged on the lower side and the foam discharge cap is arranged on the upper side in the foam discharge container described later. However, the vertical direction may differ from the vertical direction of the foam-dispensing container and elements (parts) constituting the foam-dispensing container at the time of manufacture and use of the foam-dispensing container. Further, in the following description, "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the relative position of a gas, liquid, or foamy liquid flow, particularly near the beginning of the flow relative to these flows. The position is called upstream, and the position relatively farther from the starting point than "upstream" is called "downstream".

Furthermore, in the following description, a foamy liquid agent means a liquid agent in a state in which a plurality of spherical or spherical-like bubbles are enclosed by enclosing air bubbles in the liquid agent. and Therefore, in the following description, the size of the bubbles contained in the foamy liquid agent (specifically, the diameter of the sphere, etc.) and the distribution density of the bubbles are not particularly limited. The size and distribution density of the bubbles will change depending on the application.

<<First Embodiment>>
<Schematic configuration of foam discharge container 10>
First, a foam discharge container 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The foam discharge container 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention mixes the liquid agent filled in the container main body 100 described later with the gas taken in from the outside of the container main body 100 to make the liquid agent foamy. It is a container that can be changed and discharged to the outside of the foam discharge container 10 . Below, with reference to Drawing 1, a schematic structure of foam discharge container 10 concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention is explained. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of a foam discharge container 10 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the foam discharge container 10 according to the present embodiment comprises a container body 100 filled with a liquid agent and a foam discharge cap (foam dispenser) 200 detachably attached to the container body 100 . and Specifically, the foam discharge container 10 can change the liquid agent into a foam state and discharge it by pressing the head portion 230 of the foam discharge cap 200 downward with a user's finger or the like. It is a container called a so-called pump foamer with a manual pump. That is, in the following description, the foam discharge container 10 will be described as a pump foamer type container. The outline of each part of the foam discharge container 10 will be described below.

(Container body 100)
The container body 100 is provided below the foam discharge container 10 and has a space capable of being filled with a liquid agent. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the container body 100 includes a cylindrical (circular tubular) body 102, a cylindrical mouth-and-neck section 104 connected to the upper side of the body 102, and the body and a bottom 106 closing off the lower end of 102 . Specifically, the body portion 102 has a space for storing the liquid medicine by closing the lower end thereof with the bottom portion 106 . Furthermore, an opening is formed in the mouth/neck portion 104, and a part of the foam discharge cap 200, which will be described later, can be inserted into the opening. In addition, in the present embodiment, the shape of the container body 100 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 1, and may be other shapes.

The liquid agents filled in the container body 100 include, for example, face wash, hand soap, body soap, cleansing agents, various detergents for tableware and bathrooms, hair styling agents, shaving creams, foundations, serums for skin, and the like. Various liquid agents such as cosmetics, hair dyes, disinfectants, etc., which are used in foam form, and are not particularly limited. Furthermore, the viscosity of the liquid agent is not particularly limited, either. More preferably, 10000 cP or less is more preferable, and 2000 cP or less is even more preferable. The viscosity of the liquid agent can be measured using, for example, a Brookfield viscometer. As the measurement conditions for measuring the viscosity, the rotor type, rotation speed, and rotation time determined based on the viscosity level in each viscometer can be appropriately selected.

(Foam discharge cap 200)
As shown in FIG. 1, the foam discharge cap 200 is a foam discharge cap 200 that is attached to a container body 100 that stores a liquid medicine and that is supported upward by the container body 100 . The foam discharge cap 200 includes a supply mechanism 260 that supplies the liquid agent from the container body 100, a foamer mechanism (mixing section) 300 that mixes the liquid agent and gas to foam the liquid agent, and a foamed liquid agent. It mainly includes a head portion 230 having an ejection port 242 for ejection. Specifically, the foam discharge cap 200 can be detachably attached to the mouth/neck portion 104 of the container body 100 described above by a fixing method such as screwing. The foam discharge cap 200 mainly has a cap member 210 to be attached to the mouth/neck portion 104 , a head portion 230 supported by the cap member 210 , and a supply mechanism 260 suspended from the cap member 210 . The foam discharge cap 200 also has a channel that communicates with the discharge port 242 and supplies the foamed liquid agent from the foamer mechanism 300 to the discharge port 242 .

Specifically, the cap member 210 has a cylindrical mounting portion 212 , and the mounting portion 212 is screwed to the mouth/neck portion 104 to attach the entire foam discharge cap 200 to the container body 100 . Can be worn. In other words, when the foam discharge cap 200 is attached to the mouth/neck portion 104 , the opening of the mouth/neck portion 104 is closed by the foam discharge cap 200 . The mounting portion 212 may have a double tube structure, and in such a case, the inner tube of the mounting portion 212 is screwed to the mouth/neck portion 104 . Further, the cap member 210 has an annular closing portion 214 that closes the upper end of the mounting portion 212 and rises upward from the central portion of the annular closing portion 214 (the central portion of the annular closing portion 214 in a plan view). It has an upright tube portion 216 that is open. The upright tubular portion 216 has a cylindrical shape with a diameter smaller than that of the mounting portion 212 , and a part of a supply mechanism 260 described later is inserted into the upright tubular portion 216 .

The supply mechanism 260 is provided so as to hang down from the standing tube portion 216, as described above. The supply mechanism 260 includes a liquid agent supply unit (not shown) for supplying the liquid agent stored in the container main body 100 to the foamer mechanism 300 that mixes the liquid agent and gas to change the liquid agent into foam, It also includes a gas supply unit (not shown) that takes in gas from the outside of the foam discharge container 10 and supplies the gas to the foamer mechanism 300 . Specifically, the liquid agent supply unit is, for example, a liquid agent cylinder that constitutes a liquid agent pump, pressurizes the liquid agent in a liquid agent pump chamber (not shown) provided in the supply mechanism 260 , and supplies the liquid agent to the former mechanism 300 . The gas supply unit is, for example, a gas cylinder that constitutes a gas pump, pressurizes gas in a gas pump chamber (not shown) provided in the supply mechanism 260 , and supplies the gas to the former mechanism 300 . In this embodiment, the configurations of the liquid agent supply unit and the gas supply unit are not particularly limited, and various known configurations can be applied. Further, the upper end of the supply mechanism 260 is closed by the former mechanism 300 or communicated with the former mechanism 300 through a channel (not shown).

The foamer mechanism 300 is provided so as to be included in the standing tubular portion 216 and the tubular portion 234, and can mix the liquid agent and the gas to change the liquid agent into foam. In the following description, the gas mixed with the liquid agent in the foamer mechanism 300 means air (external air) containing nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc., taken into the foam discharge container 10 from the outside. It shall be. However, in this embodiment, the gas is not limited to air. good. Details of the former mechanism 300 will be described later.

Further, the head section 230 has a nozzle section 240 provided as an integral body with the head section 230, as shown in FIG. Further, the tip of the nozzle portion 240 is provided with an ejection port 242 for ejecting a foamed liquid agent. Further, in the internal space of the nozzle portion 240, a foam flow path 250 is provided for supplying the foamed liquid agent toward the ejection port 242. As shown in FIG. The foam channel 250 extends outward from the head portion 230 and communicates with the outlet 242 . Further, the bubble channel 250 may extend so as to be inclined downward toward the outlet 242 as shown in FIG. 1, or may extend along the horizontal direction. Further, the foam channel 250 communicates with the communication channel 252, which is the inner space of the cylindrical portion 234 described later, on the side opposite to the discharge port 242, in other words, the upstream side of the foam channel 250. In addition, the communication channel 252 communicates with the former mechanism 300 . That is, in the present embodiment, the foam discharge cap 200 has a foam channel 250 and a communication channel 252 as channels, and the liquid agent foamed by the foamer mechanism 300 flows through the communication channel 252 and the communication channel 252. The foam can be discharged to the outside of the foam discharge container 10 from the discharge port 242 through the foam flow path 250 . A detailed configuration of the head unit 230 will be described later.

Further, in this embodiment, the discharge port 242 is provided with a porous body (first porous member) 270 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The porous body 270 is provided so as to block the discharge port 242, and the liquid agent foamed by the foaming mechanism 300 further passes through the porous body 270 to be made into finer bubbles. Become. Preferably, the porous body 270 is arranged within 10 mm from the open end of the discharge port 242 . In other words, the length of the bubble flow path 250 from the porous body 270 to the opening end (discharge port end) 242a (see FIG. 4) of the discharge port 242 is preferably 10 mm or less, more preferably 8 mm or less. more preferred. Details of the porous body 270 will be described later.

Further, the head section 230 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the head section 230 is provided with an operation section 232 that receives a pressing operation by a user's finger or the like. Note that the above-described nozzle portion 240 is provided so as to protrude from the operation portion 232 as shown in FIG. Specifically, when a pressing operation is performed on the operating portion 232 and the head portion 230 is pressed down relative to the mounting portion 212, the above-described liquid agent supply portion (not shown) operates to operate the liquid agent. A liquid agent in a pump chamber (not shown) is pressurized and supplied to the former mechanism 300 . Further, the gas supply section (not shown) pressurizes the gas in the gas pump chamber (not shown) and supplies it to the former mechanism 300 . Further, the head portion 230 has a cylindrical portion 234 hanging downward from the operation portion 232 . Further, inside the cylindrical portion 234, as described above, the communicating channel 252 extending in the vertical direction is provided. The communication channel 252 communicates with the upper end of the foamer mechanism 300 and further communicates with the upstream side of the foam channel 250 .

<Schematic Configuration of Former Mechanism 300>
Next, a schematic configuration of the former mechanism 300 described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a part of the side cross section of the foam discharge cap 200 according to the present embodiment. Specifically, the foam discharge cap 200 shown in FIG. 1 is cut along the central axis of the foam discharge container 10. It shows a part of the side cross section when

The foamer mechanism 300 is a mechanism for mixing the liquid agent and the gas to change the liquid agent into foam, as described above. As shown in FIG. It is housed in the inner cylindrical portion 234b. The upper end of the foamer mechanism 300 communicates with the communication channel 252 of the cylindrical portion 234, and the communication channel 252 communicates with the foam channel 250 of the nozzle portion 240, as described above. . Accordingly, the liquid agent foamed by the foaming mechanism 300 can be discharged to the outside of the foam discharge container 10 through the discharge port 242 of the nozzle portion 240 .

On the other hand, the lower end of the former mechanism 300 faces a check valve configured by the ball valve 180 and the valve seat portion 131 provided inside the supply mechanism 260 and allowing the liquid to be supplied to the former mechanism 300. . Accordingly, as the ball valve 180 of the check valve moves up and down, the former mechanism 300 is supplied with the liquid agent from the liquid agent supply section (not shown) located below the ball valve 180, and the former mechanism 300 It is possible to stop the return of the liquid from the to the liquid supply section.

Further, the former mechanism 300 has therein a liquid agent flow path (not shown) for the liquid agent supplied from the liquid agent supply unit, and a gas supply unit (not shown) of the supply mechanism 260 for the gas supplied from the gas supply unit (not shown). It has one or a plurality of gas passages (not shown) for each. Furthermore, the former mechanism 300 has therein a mixing chamber (not shown) where the liquid agent channel and the gas channel intersect. In the mixing chamber, the supplied liquid agent and gas are mixed with each other, and the liquid agent can be foamed. Then, the foamed liquid agent is discharged from the mixing chamber to the communication channel 252 in such a manner that it is pushed out by the liquid agent and gas newly supplied to the foamer mechanism 300 . Further, the discharged foamy liquid agent is discharged from the discharge port 242 to the outside of the foam discharge container 10 via the communication flow path 252 and the foam flow path 250 as described above.

Furthermore, the former mechanism 300 has a porous body (second porous member) 310 therein. For example, the porous body 310 is disk-shaped or cylindrical, and is provided at a position so as to come into contact with the foam-like liquid agent from the mixing chamber. Therefore, the liquid agent foamed in the mixing chamber passes through the porous body 310 to become finer bubbles.

In this embodiment, for example, the porous body 310 may be mesh, gauze, foam, sponge, or a combination of two or more selected from these. Specifically, the opening size of the porous body 310 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 μm or more, more preferably 40 μm or more, preferably 350 μm or less, and more preferably 300 μm or less. When the porous body 310 is made of mesh with rectangular openings, the opening means the vertical and horizontal lengths of the rectangular openings, and when the porous body 310 has circular openings, it means the diameter of the circle. It shall be. More specifically, for example, a commercially available mesh sheet with a mesh size of #50 to #550 can be used as the porous body 310, preferably a commercially available mesh sheet with a mesh size of #85 to #350. can be used. For example, #61, #508, #85, and #305 can be used as mesh sheets.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the former mechanism 300 includes, as shown in FIG. 2, two porous bodies (a second porous member provided downstream) 310a, a second porous member) 310b. More specifically, the porous body 310 a may be provided at the upper end (downstream side) of the former mechanism 300 and communicated with the communication channel 252 . In such a case, the liquid agent foamed in the mixing chamber can be made into finer foam by sequentially passing through the porous bodies 310b and 310a. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the former mechanism 300 may have three or more porous bodies, and the number of porous bodies is not particularly limited.

<Detailed Configuration of Head Unit 230>
Next, the detailed configuration of the head section 230 described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the head section 230 according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a side cross-section of the head portion 230 according to the present embodiment, and more specifically, the head portion 230 shown in FIG. It shows a cross section. 5 is a perspective view of the side cross section shown in FIG. 4. More specifically, FIG. 5 is a view when the side cross section of the head portion 230 shown in FIG. 4 is rotated about the central axis. In addition, in FIG. 5, the porous body 270 is illustrated as being uncut.

2 and 3, the head portion 230 according to the present embodiment includes a nozzle portion 240 having an ejection port 242 for ejecting a foamed liquid agent, and a user's finger. and a tubular portion 234 hanging downward from the operating portion 232 . The nozzle portion 240, the operating portion 232, and the tubular portion 234 can be integrally formed of resin material, for example. The detailed configuration of each part of the head unit 230 will be described below.

(Operation unit 232)
As described above, the operation unit 232 can receive a pressing operation by the user's finger or the like. In this embodiment, the head section 230 is pushed down by the user pressing the operation section 232 .

(cylindrical portion 234)
As shown in FIG. 2, the tubular portion 234 has a double tubular structure and has an outer tubular portion 234a and an inner tubular portion 234b. A part of the inner tubular portion 234 b is inserted into the upright tubular portion 216 of the cap member 210 . The cylindrical portion 234 is indirectly supported by the supply mechanism 260 and an urging member (not shown) provided in the supply mechanism 260 . Therefore, the head portion 230 can be pushed down (lowered) within a predetermined range against the biasing force of the biasing member. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, when the pressing operation on the operating portion 232 is released, the head portion 230 vertically moves the cap member 210 in accordance with the biasing force of the biasing member. It rises relative to the standing tube portion 216 and moves to the upper stop point. On the other hand, when the user presses the operating portion 232 against the biasing force of the biasing member, the head portion 230 is lowered relative to the standing tube portion 216 . At this time, the head portion 230 is vertically moved while securing a narrow flow passage between the standing tube portion 216 and the outer tube portion 234a and the inner tube portion 234b of the tube-shaped portion 234 to allow the intake of air. can move along.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the above-described former mechanism 300 is provided below the inner cylindrical portion 234b. Furthermore, above the inner cylindrical portion 234b, a communicating channel 252 is provided that extends along the vertical direction and communicates with the upper end of the former mechanism 300. As shown in FIG. The liquid agent foamed by the foaming mechanism 300 passes through the communication channel 252 , and the foamed liquid agent is supplied to the foam channel 250 of the head section 230 . In addition, the shape of the cross section of the communication channel 252 (specifically, the cross section when cut along the horizontal direction) is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a circular shape or a rectangular shape. It may be in shape. Details of the length of the communication channel 252 will be described later.

(Nozzle part 240)
As shown in FIG. 3 , the nozzle portion 240 has a discharge port 242 at its tip, protrudes from the operation portion 232 , and is inclined downward toward the discharge port 242 . Furthermore, as described above, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the nozzle portion 240 is provided with the foam flow path 250 through which the foam liquid agent passes as the internal space. The inner diameter of the foam channel 250 increases from a connection portion 254 (see FIG. 4) that connects with the communication channel 252 toward the discharge port 242 . In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the bubble channel 250 gradually increases from the connecting portion 254 toward the discharge port 242 . In other words, the cross-sectional area of the foam channel 250 perpendicular to the supply direction of the foamy liquid agent (the direction in which the foamy liquid agent flows) gradually increases toward the ejection port 242 along the supply direction. ing. The details of the gradual increase in the cross-sectional area of the bubble channel 250 will be described later.

The cross-sectional shape of the bubble channel 250 is not particularly limited. It may be elliptical.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, a porous fitting member 272 is provided at the tip of the nozzle portion 240 . The porous fitting member 272 is a cylindrical or prismatic member, and has a diameter equal to or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the foam channel 250 on the discharge port 242 side, and is fitted to the inside of the tip of the nozzle portion 240. can do. Furthermore, a porous body 270 is provided on the inner diameter of the porous fitting member 272 . In this embodiment, by using the porous fitting member 272 that can fit inside the tip of the nozzle part 240, the porous body 270 can be easily provided in the discharge port 242 of the nozzle part 240. . That is, in this embodiment, by using the porous fitting member 272, the head portion 230 according to this embodiment can be easily manufactured. In addition, in this embodiment, by using the porous fitting member 272, the appearance of the nozzle portion 240 is not spoiled while the porous body 270 is provided in the discharge port 242.

Moreover, the porous body 270 is, for example, a plate-shaped, prism-shaped, disk-shaped, or cylindrical member. The foamy liquid agent supplied from the foamer mechanism 300 can become finer bubbles by passing through the porous body 270 .

For example, the porous body 270 may be mesh, gauze, foam, sponge, or a combination of two or more selected from these, similar to the porous body 310 of the former mechanism 300 described above. Specifically, the opening size of the porous body 270 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20 μm or more, more preferably 40 μm or more, preferably 350 μm or less, and more preferably 300 μm or less. When the porous body 270 is made of a mesh having rectangular openings, the opening means the vertical and horizontal lengths of the rectangular openings, and when the porous body 270 has circular openings, it means the diameter of the circle. It shall be. More specifically, for example, a commercially available mesh sheet with a mesh size of #50 to #550 can be used as the porous body 270, preferably a commercially available mesh sheet with a mesh size of #85 to #350. can be used. For example, #61, #508, #85, and #305 can be used as mesh sheets.

Also, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cross-sectional area of the bubble channel 250 is minimized at the connecting portion 254 where the bubble channel 250 and the communication channel 252 are connected. That is, it can be said that the connecting portion 254 is at the minimum cross-sectional area position having the minimum cross-sectional area. In the present embodiment, the length L from the porous body 270 to the connection portion 254 having the smallest cross-sectional area along the supply direction of the foamy liquid agent in the foam channel 250 is preferably 3 mm or more. . Moreover, in the present embodiment, the length L is more preferably 10 mm or more, and further preferably 20 mm or more. In the present embodiment, by increasing the length L, the flow velocity difference between the liquid agent passing near the center of the channel and the liquid agent passing near the wall surface can be alleviated (uniformed). A foam with improved uniformity can be produced. In other words, the length L can be said to be the length of the center line of the foam channel 250 passing through the center of the cross section of the foam channel 250 .

In addition, in this embodiment, the location with the minimum cross-sectional area is not limited to the connection portion 254 where the bubble channel 250 and the communication channel 252 are connected, and the connection portion 254 of the bubble channel 250 and the porous body 270 . Even in that case, the length from the porous body 270 to the point where the cross-sectional area is the smallest along the supply direction of the foamy liquid agent in the foam channel 250 is preferably 3 mm or more. Moreover, in this case, the length is more preferably 10 mm or more, and further preferably 20 mm or more.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the length M from the connection portion 254 of the communication channel 252 that connects with the foam channel 250 to the mixing chamber in the foamer mechanism 300 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is 12 mm or more. Preferably. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the length M is more preferably 15 mm or longer, and further preferably 20 mm or longer. It can also be said that the length M is the length of the center line of the communication channel 252 passing through the center of the cross section of the communication channel 252 . Therefore, it can be said that the starting point of the length L and the length M at the connection portion 254 is the point where the center line of the bubble channel 250 and the center line of the communication channel 252 intersect. In the present embodiment, by increasing the length M, the flow velocity of the foamy liquid agent when passing through the porous body 270 of the ejection port 242 can be further reduced. A foam with improved uniformity can be produced.

That is, in the present embodiment, the length (length L+ The length M) is preferably 15 mm or more. Further, in the present embodiment, the length (length L+length M) is more preferably 25 mm or longer, and even more preferably 40 mm or longer. Further, when the foaming mechanism 300 has a plurality of porous bodies 310, the porous body 310b provided on the most upstream side of the foaming mechanism 300 from the porous body 270 of the foam channel 250 and the communication channel 252 The length up to is preferably 10 mm or more. Furthermore, the length from the porous body 270 to the porous body 310b provided on the most upstream side of the former mechanism 300 is more preferably 20 mm or longer, more preferably 35 mm or longer.

In order to generate finer bubbles with improved uniformity, it is preferable to reduce the flow velocity of the foamy liquid agent when it passes through the porous body 270 of the ejection port 242. In configuration, the length of the bubble channel 250 and the connecting channel 252 are increased as described above. However, considering the usability of the foam discharge container 10, etc., there are restrictions on the size and shape of the foam discharge container 10, and it is realistic to extend the length of the foam flow channel 250 and the communication flow channel 252 without limit. is not. Therefore, in the present embodiment, by focusing on the diameter of the bubble channel 250 and gradually increasing the cross-sectional area of the bubble channel 250 toward the discharge port 242, the bubble channel 250 and the communication channel 252 Even in a situation where there is a restriction on the length of , it is possible to further reduce the flow velocity when the foamy liquid agent passes through the porous body 270 of the ejection port 242 .

Specifically, as explained above, the cross-sectional area of the bubble channel 250 is minimized at the connecting portion 254 where the bubble channel 250 and the communication channel 252 are connected. Further, in the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the cross section of the foam channel 250 perpendicular to the supply direction of the foamy liquid agent is along the supply direction of the foamy liquid agent on the upstream side of the porous body 270. , gradually increases from the connection portion 254 toward the discharge port 242 . More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the cross-sectional area of the foam channel 250 at the discharge port 242 is 1.2 times the cross-sectional area (minimum cross-sectional area) of the foam channel 250 at the connecting portion 254. It is preferable that it is above. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the foam channel 250 at the discharge port 242 is more preferably three times or more the minimum cross-sectional area. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the porous body 270 (specifically, the cross-sectional area of the cut surface perpendicular to the supply direction) is preferably 1.2 times or more the minimum cross-sectional area. , more preferably three times or more.

In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the cross section of the foam channel 250 perpendicular to the supply direction of the foamy liquid agent is along the supply direction of the foamy liquid agent on the upstream side of the porous body 270. , gradually increasing from the connection portion 254 toward the discharge port 242 , the cross-sectional area of the cut surface increases along the supply direction on the upstream side of the porous body 270 to the connection portion 254 . , may expand in a stepped manner toward the ejection port 242 .

In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the foam flow path 250 is expanded toward the supply direction on the upstream side of the porous body 270, thereby increasing the flow velocity of the foamy liquid agent passing through the porous body 270. can be reduced, resulting in the production of finer and more uniform foam. Specifically, in this embodiment, by reducing the flow velocity of the foamy liquid agent, the liquid agent passing through can be made uniform by the action of the laminar flow generated in the foam channel 250, and further, It is presumed that the pulverized liquid agent passes through the porous body 270 at a low speed and becomes finer bubbles with improved uniformity. In particular, by gradually increasing the cross-sectional area of the foam channel 250 toward the discharge port 242 on the upstream side of the porous body 270, a laminar flow is further generated in the foam channel 250, and the liquid agent passing through the foam channel 250 is increased. It can be homogenized, and the homogenized liquid agent passes through the porous body 270 at a low speed to become finer bubbles with improved uniformity.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the portion having the minimum cross-sectional area is not limited to the connection portion 254 where the bubble flow path 250 and the communication flow path 252 are connected. 250 , between the connecting portion 254 and the porous body 270 . Even in that case, the cross-sectional area of the foam channel 250 at the discharge port 242 is preferably 1.2 times or more, more preferably 3 times or more, of the minimum cross-sectional area.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the foam ejection container 10 capable of ejecting a fine foamed liquid agent with improved uniformity. In addition, since the foam-dispensing container 10 according to the present embodiment does not greatly change the shape of the conventional foam-dispensing container, there is little change in the production line, and the usability and appearance are impaired compared to the conventional foam-dispensing container. Not at all.

<<Second Embodiment>>
Furthermore, the head part 230 according to the embodiment of the present invention may have other forms different from the above-described first embodiment. Therefore, the details of the head portion 230a having another different form will be described below as a second embodiment of the present invention.

A detailed configuration of the head portion 230a according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the head portion 230a according to this embodiment. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a side cross-section of the head portion 230a according to the present embodiment. More specifically, the head portion 230a shown in FIG. It shows a cross section. 8 is a perspective view of the side cross section shown in FIG. 7, and is a view when the side cross section of the head portion 230a shown in FIG. 7 is rotated about the central axis. In addition, in FIG. 8, the porous body 270a is illustrated as being not cut.

As in the first embodiment, the head portion 230a according to the present embodiment includes a nozzle portion 240a having an ejection port 242 for ejecting a foamed liquid agent, and a nozzle portion 240a having an ejection opening 242 for ejecting a foamed liquid agent. and a tubular portion 234 (outer tubular portion 234a, inner tubular portion 234b) that hangs downward from the above-described operating portion 232. As shown in FIG. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the form of the nozzle part 240a shall differ from 1st Embodiment. That is, in this embodiment, the operation portion 232 and the tubular portion 234 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, in the following description, detailed descriptions of the operation portion 232 and the cylindrical portion 234 will be omitted, and the configuration of the nozzle portion 240a that is different from that of the first embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, also in this embodiment, a foam channel 250a through which the foam liquid agent passes is provided inside the nozzle portion 240a. The inner diameter of the bubble channel 250a gradually increases from the connection portion 254 that connects with the communication channel 252 toward the discharge port 242, as in the first embodiment. However, in the present embodiment, the bubble channel 250a may be expanded to a lesser degree than in the first embodiment.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a porous body 270a is directly provided at the discharge port 242 so as to block the discharge port 242 at the tip of the nozzle portion 240a. Similar to the porous body 270 of the first embodiment, the porous body 270a allows the foamy liquid agent supplied from the former mechanism 300 to pass therethrough, thereby turning the liquid agent into finer bubbles. can be

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, also in the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the cross section of the foam channel 250a perpendicular to the supply direction of the foamy liquid agent is connected along the supply direction of the foamy liquid agent. It gradually increases from the portion 254 toward the outlet 242 . More specifically, the cross-sectional area of the foam channel 250a at the discharge port 242 is preferably 1.2 times or more the cross-sectional area (minimum cross-sectional area) of the foam channel 250a at the connecting portion 254. . Further, in the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the porous body 270a (specifically, the cross-sectional area of the cut surface perpendicular to the supply direction) is 1.2 times or more the minimum cross-sectional area. preferable.

In the present embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the porous fitting member 272 is not used, and the porous body 270a is directly provided in the discharge port 242. As shown in FIG. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the cross-sectional area of the porous body 270a from becoming small due to the thickness of the porous fitting member 272, etc. , the cross-sectional area of the porous body 270a can be increased. As a result, according to the present embodiment, even if the degree of diameter expansion of the bubble channel 250a is small, it is possible to reduce the flow velocity when the bubble-like liquid agent passes through the porous body 270a. That is, according to the present embodiment as well, it is possible to provide the foam discharge container 10 capable of discharging a foamed liquid agent that is finer and has improved uniformity.

<<Example>>
Here, an example of a foamy liquid agent obtained by using the above-described foam discharge container 10 having a head portion according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a photographed image of a foamy liquid agent ejected from the foam ejection container of the present example and the comparative example into the sample container.

Here, the comparative example is assumed to be a foam discharge container having a head portion 530 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a side cross section of the head portion 530 according to the comparative example, and more specifically shows a side cross section of the head portion 530 cut along the central axis of the foam discharge container. 11 is a perspective view of the side cross section shown in FIG. 10. More specifically, FIG. 11 is a view when the side cross section of the head portion 530 shown in FIG. 10 is rotated about the central axis. In addition, in FIG. 11, the porous body 570 is illustrated as being uncut.

A head portion 530 according to the comparative example mainly includes a nozzle portion 540 having a discharge port 542, an operating portion 532, and a cylindrical portion 534, as shown in FIG. 10, similarly to the embodiment of the present invention. Further, the tubular portion 534 has an outer tubular portion 534a and an inner tubular portion 534b. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, a former mechanism 300 similar to that of the present embodiment is provided below the inner cylinder portion 534b, and communicates with the upper end portion of the former mechanism 300 above the inner cylinder portion 534b. , a communication channel 552 extending in the vertical direction is provided.

Further, inside the nozzle portion 540 according to the comparative example, a foam channel 550 through which the liquid agent foamed by the foaming mechanism 300 passes is provided. However, unlike the present embodiment described above, the inner diameter of the foam channel 550 does not expand toward the discharge port 242, and the inner diameter extends from the connecting portion 554 that connects with the communication channel 552 to the discharge port 542. They are almost identical. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, in the comparative example, a porous fitting member 572 having a porous body 570 is provided at the tip of the nozzle portion 540, as in the first embodiment described above. . Further, in the comparative example, as shown in FIG. It is smaller than the area (minimum cross-sectional area).

Next, the foam discharge container 10 having the head portions 230 and 230a according to the examples of the present invention (Examples 1 to 5) and the foam discharge container having the head portion 530 according to the above-described comparative example (Comparative Examples 1 and 2). ) will be described with reference to FIG. In the following description, the cross-sectional area of the porous body 270 of the head portion 230 according to Example 1 is 3.0 times the cross-sectional area (minimum cross-sectional area) of the bubble channel 250 in the connecting portion 254. times (cross-sectional area magnification). In addition, the cross-sectional area of the porous body 270 of the head portion 230 according to Example 2 was set to 1.2 times the cross-sectional area (minimum cross-sectional area) of the bubble channel 250 in the connecting portion 254 . The cross-sectional area of the porous body 270 according to Example 3 was 1.9 times the minimum cross-sectional area. The cross-sectional area of the porous body 270 according to Example 4 was 2.6 times the minimum cross-sectional area. The cross-sectional area of the porous body 270 according to Example 5 was 1.2 times the minimum cross-sectional area. In addition, in Example 1, the length L from the porous body 270 to the connection portion 254 having the smallest cross-sectional area along the supply direction of the foam-like liquid agent in the foam channel 250 was set to 25.6 mm. . In Examples 2 to 4, the length L was set to 5 mm. In Example 5, the length L was set to 3 mm. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of the porous body 570 of the head portion 530 according to Comparative Example 1 was 0.5 times the cross-sectional area (minimum cross-sectional area) of the bubble channel 550 in the connecting portion 554 . The cross-sectional area of the porous body 570 of the head portion 530 according to Comparative Example 2 was 0.8 times the cross-sectional area (minimum cross-sectional area) of the bubble flow path 550 in the connecting portion 554 . Furthermore, in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 described above, the length L from the porous body 570 to the connection portion 554 having the smallest cross-sectional area along the supply direction of the foam-like liquid agent in the foam channel 550 was 5 mm. and

9A and 9B are captured images of the foam liquid agent discharged from the foam discharge container of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2 to the sample container. It is a captured image of a foamy liquid agent that is ejected at a constant speed. In Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the flow rate of the foamed liquid agent supplied from the foamer mechanism 300 increases as the pressing speed of the operation portion 232 due to the pressing operation increases.

As can be seen from FIG. 9 , from the foam-discharging containers according to Comparative Examples 1 and 2, non-uniform foamy liquid agents containing large bubbles (crab bubbles) were discharged. Specifically, in Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the effect of miniaturization by the porous body 570 was not exhibited, and the appearance and quality of the foam were remarkably deteriorated. On the other hand, from the foam discharge containers 10 according to Examples 1 to 5, fine foam-like liquid agents with improved uniformity were discharged. In particular, from the foam discharge containers 10 according to Examples 1 to 5, even if the pressing speed of the operation part 232 was increased, fine foam-like liquid agents with improved uniformity were discharged. In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, not only when the pressing speed is high, but also depending on the composition of the liquid agent, the appearance and quality of the foam may be remarkably deteriorated. On the other hand, in Examples 1 to 5, even when the composition of the liquid agent was changed, fine bubble-like liquid agents with improved uniformity were ejected.

It is considered that the deterioration of the foam quality in the comparative example is caused by the high flow velocity of the foamy liquid agent when passing through the porous body 570 . On the other hand, in Examples 1 to 5, by gradually increasing the cross-sectional areas of the foam flow paths 250 and 250a toward the discharge port 242, the foamy liquid agent passes through the porous body 270. It reduces the flow velocity. As a result, in Examples 1 to 5, by reducing the flow velocity of the foamy liquid agent, the liquid agent passing through the foam channels 250 and 250a can be homogenized by the action of the laminar flow, Furthermore, it is presumed that the homogenized liquid agent passes through the porous bodies 270 and 270a at a low speed, becoming finer bubbles with improved uniformity. Then, from the photographed images of the foam-like liquid agents corresponding to Examples 2 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 and 2, in which the length L is the same and the cross-sectional area of the porous body 270 is different from each other, the porous body 270 It has been found that if the cross-sectional area is made larger than the cross-sectional area (minimum cross-sectional area) of the bubble channel 250 at the junction 254, finer bubbles with improved uniformity are obtained. In addition, from the photographed images of the foam-like liquid agent corresponding to Examples 2 and 5, in which the cross-sectional area of the porous body 270 is the same and the length L is different from each other, By increasing the length L from the porous body 570 to the connecting portion 554 with the smallest cross-sectional area, the foamed liquid agent is made finer and the uniformity of the foamed liquid agent is improved. I found that it can be done.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to eject a foamed liquid agent that is finer and has improved uniformity.

<<Summary>>
As described above, according to the foam discharge container 10 according to each embodiment of the present invention, the foam discharge container 10 is capable of discharging a foamed liquid agent that is finer and has improved uniformity. can provide.

The structure and operation of the foam discharge container 10 described above are merely examples, and known structures may be applied to the above-described embodiments without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Moreover, although the parts constituting the foam discharge container 10 according to each embodiment of the present invention described above are not particularly limited, they can be formed from various resin materials, for example. Further, the foam discharge container 10 can be manufactured by various known molding processes.

It should be noted that the foam discharge container 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to being a pump foamer type container, and the container main body 100 is pressed by the user to change the liquid agent into foam. It may be a so-called squeeze foamer type container that can be discharged by pressing. In such a case, when the container body 100 is compressed by the user and the volume of the internal space shrinks, the liquid agent and gas in the container body 100 are pressurized, and the liquid agent and gas enter the former mechanism 300 . will be supplied. Further, the foamer mechanism 300 to which the liquid agent and the gas are supplied mixes the liquid agent and the gas to generate a foamy liquid agent, as in the above-described embodiments. Therefore, when the foam discharge container 10 is a squeeze foam container, the side portion of the container body 100 can be considered to have the same function as the operation portion 232 in the above-described embodiment.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present invention can conceive of various modifications or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. is naturally within the technical scope of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 foam discharge container 100 container main body 102 body portion 104 mouth and neck portion 106 bottom portion 131 valve seat portion 180 ball valve 200 foam discharge cap 210 cap member 212 mounting portion 214 annular closing portion 216 standing cylinder portion 230, 230a, 530 head portion 232, 532 operation portion 234, 534 tubular portion 234a, 534a outer tubular portion 234b, 534b inner tubular portion 240, 240a, 540 nozzle portion 242, 542 discharge port 242a opening end 250, 250a, 550 foam channel 252, 552 communication channel 254, 554 connecting portion 260 supply mechanism 270, 270a, 310, 310a, 310b, 570 porous body 272, 572 porous fitting member 300 former mechanism L, M Length

Claims (9)

a mixing unit that mixes a liquid agent and a gas to foam the liquid agent;
an ejection port for ejecting the foamed liquid agent;
a channel that communicates with the ejection port and supplies the foamed liquid agent from the mixing unit to the ejection port;
A foam dispenser comprising:
A first porous member is provided at the discharge port,
the cross-sectional area of the flow path perpendicular to the supply direction of the foamed liquid agent expands in the supply direction on the upstream side of the first porous member;
The cross-sectional area of the flow path at the discharge port is 3.0 times or more the minimum cross-sectional area of the flow path , and the cross-sectional area of the cut surface of the first porous member perpendicular to the supply direction. is 3.0 times or more of the minimum cross-sectional area,
The foam dispenser, wherein the length of the channel from the first porous member to the minimum cross-sectional area position having the smallest cross-sectional area in the channel is 3 mm or more. The cross-sectional area of the flow path perpendicular to the supply direction of the foamed liquid agent gradually increases toward the ejection port along the supply direction on the upstream side of the first porous member. 2. The foam dispenser of claim 1, wherein the. The foam dispenser according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the length of said flow path from said first porous member to the opening end of said ejection port is 10 mm or less. The channel communicates with a foam channel that extends so as to be inclined downward toward the discharge port or extends along the horizontal direction, and the upstream side of the foam channel, and from the upper end of the mixing section 4. Any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a communication channel extending vertically toward the foam channel, and having the minimum cross-sectional area at a connecting portion between the foam channel and the communication channel. 10. A foam dispenser as described above. The mixing unit has a mixing chamber in which the supplied liquid agent and the gas are mixed with each other,
5. The foam dispenser according to claim 4 , wherein the length of said flow path from said first porous member to said mixing chamber is 15 mm or more. A foam dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the mixing section comprises one or more second porous members. The mixing section has a plurality of the second porous members,
The flow path communicates with the second porous member provided on the downstream side of the second porous member, and flows from the second porous member provided on the upstream side to the first porous member. 7. A foam dispenser according to claim 6 , wherein the length of said flow path to the porous member is 10mm or more. A foam discharge container comprising: a container body filled with the liquid agent ;
A foam discharge container having an operation part that receives a pressing operation by a user, wherein the foamed liquid agent is discharged by pressing the operation part. a cap member to be attached to the mouth and neck;
a head portion supported by the cap member;
further comprising
The head portion is provided with the ejection port and the operation portion,
When the user presses the operation unit, the head unit is pushed down, and the foamed liquid agent is discharged.
9. A foam dispensing container according to claim 8.

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