JP7653771B2 - Trigger-type liquid ejector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a trigger-type liquid ejector.

As a trigger type liquid ejector, for example, the configuration as shown in the following Patent Document 1 is known. Such a trigger type liquid ejector includes an ejector body that is attached to a container body that contains liquid, and a nozzle portion that is disposed in front of the ejector body and has an ejection hole for ejecting the liquid. The ejector body extends in the vertical direction and includes a vertical supply tube portion that sucks up the liquid in the container body, a trigger portion that is disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion in a forward biased state so as to be movable backward, and causes the liquid to flow from the vertical supply tube portion toward the ejection hole side by moving backward, a piston having a cylindrical piston body to which the trigger portion is connected, a cylinder having a cylindrical piston guide inserted into the piston body and pressurized and depressurized as the piston moves forward and backward, and a fitting tube portion that protrudes from the vertical supply tube portion and is fitted inside the piston guide.

In the above-mentioned trigger-type liquid ejector, for example, when the remaining amount of liquid in the container body becomes low, air may be mixed into the cylinder along with the liquid. The air mixed into the cylinder is mixed with the liquid in the cylinder by operating the trigger part, and tends to remain as air bubbles. The presence of air bubbles in the cylinder can cause ejection failures, etc.
Therefore, in the above-mentioned trigger-type liquid ejector, a recovery passage is formed that connects the inside of the cylinder with the inside of the container body through the inside of the piston guide, the inside of the fitting cylindrical portion, and the inside of the vertical supply cylindrical portion, for example, when the piston moves to the rearmost position.

JP 2018-70232 A

On the other hand, trigger-type liquid ejectors such as those described above may be provided with a valve portion that opens when pressure greater than a predetermined value is applied, allowing liquid to be ejected from the ejection hole. In this case, the internal pressure of the cylinder tends to become relatively high until the valve portion opens. This causes the pressure of the liquid flowing from inside the cylinder to the recovery passage to become relatively high, and there is a risk that some of the liquid flowing through the recovery passage will leak out from between the piston guide and the fitting cylindrical portion to the outside of the trigger-type liquid ejector.

In view of the above circumstances, one aspect of the present invention aims to provide a trigger-type liquid ejector that can prevent liquid from leaking out of the container.

One aspect of the trigger type liquid ejector of the present invention comprises a ejector body attached to a container body in which liquid is contained, a nozzle section disposed in front of the ejector body and having an ejection hole formed therein for ejecting liquid, and a valve section that opens when a pressure greater than a predetermined value is applied to allow the ejection of liquid from the ejection hole, wherein the ejector body extends in the up and down direction and has a vertical supply tube section that sucks up liquid in the container body, a trigger section disposed in front of the vertical supply tube section so as to be movable rearward in a forwardly biased state, a cylindrical piston body to which the trigger section is connected and a sliding section connected to the piston body, and a piston that moves back and forth in accordance with the forward and backward movement of the trigger section, a cylinder having a cylindrical piston guide inserted into the piston body and that is pressurized and depressurized as the sliding section slides in accordance with the forward and backward movement of the piston, and a pressure applied from the vertical supply tube section to the front and a fitting tubular portion protruding toward the piston guide and fitted into the inside of the piston guide, the sliding portion including an inner sliding portion sliding against an outer circumferential surface of the piston guide and an outer sliding portion sliding against an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder, the ejector body is formed with a recovery passage that communicates between the inside of the cylinder and the inside of the container body through the inside of the piston guide and the inside of the fitting tubular portion when the piston is located at a rear position, at least one of the inner circumferential surface of the piston guide and the outer circumferential surface of the fitting tubular portion is formed with an annular sealing protrusion that seals between the inner circumferential surface of the piston guide and the outer circumferential surface of the fitting tubular portion, the outer circumferential surface of the piston guide at a rear end portion is formed with a recess, a front end of the fitting tubular portion is located forward of the recess, and the sealing protrusion is located rearward of the front end of the fitting tubular portion .

According to one aspect of the trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention, at least one of the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder is formed with an annular seal protrusion that seals between the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder. By partially protruding at least one of the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder to provide a seal protrusion, the seal protrusion can be brought into contact with the other of the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder with a relatively large force, and the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder can be suitably sealed. Therefore, even if the internal pressure of the cylinder becomes relatively large and the pressure of the liquid flowing through the recovery passage becomes relatively large, it is possible to suppress the liquid from leaking out from between the piston guide and the fitting cylinder. This makes it possible to suppress the liquid from leaking out from between the piston guide and the fitting cylinder even in cases where the liquid is particularly likely to leak out, such as when the container body is refilled with liquid and when the container body is replaced with another container body filled with liquid and then primed. Therefore, according to one aspect of the trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the liquid in the container from leaking out to the outside. In addition, the provision of the sealing protrusion allows the fitting tube portion to be firmly and stably fitted to the piston guide. Therefore, the vertical supply tube portion can be firmly and stably attached to the cylinder via the fitting tube portion. This makes it possible to prevent the vertical supply tube portion from rattling.

The vertical supply tube portion may include an outer tube portion extending in the vertical direction and opening downward, and an inner tube portion located radially inward from the outer tube portion, and a recovery gap extending in the vertical direction and opening downward is formed between the inner surface of the outer tube portion and the outer surface of the inner tube portion, the interior of the mating tube portion is connected to the recovery gap, and the recovery passage may be configured to connect the inside of the cylinder with the inside of the container body through the recovery gap.
With this configuration, by utilizing the recovery gap formed between the inner surface of the outer tube portion and the outer surface of the inner tube portion, a recovery passage that connects the inside of the cylinder with the inside of the container body through the inside of the mating tube portion can be easily provided.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a trigger-type liquid ejector is provided that can prevent liquid from leaking out of a container.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a trigger type ejector of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the trigger type ejector of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the piston guide and a part of the fitting cylindrical portion of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a view of the vertical supply tube portion of this embodiment as viewed from below. FIG. 5 is a view of the first mounting member of this embodiment as viewed from above. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the trigger type ejector of this embodiment, taken along the line VI-VI in FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a spray container is described that is configured by attaching a trigger-type liquid sprayer according to the present invention to a container body. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and can be modified as desired within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. In addition, in the drawings, the scale and number of each structure may differ from the scale and number of the actual structure in order to make each structure easier to understand.

The ejection container 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a container body 2 in which liquid is contained, and a trigger-type liquid ejector 3 detachably attached to a mouth portion 2 a of the container body 2 .
The liquid contained in the container body 2 of this embodiment is preferably, for example, a detergent used in bathrooms, toilets, etc., and has a viscosity equivalent to that of water. Such detergents contain, for example, a surfactant and are foamed. Detergents used in bathrooms, toilets, etc. are, for example, detergents used in residential bathrooms, toilets, etc. The liquid contained in the container body 2 is not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate. The liquid contained in the container body 2 may be, for example, dishwashing detergent, etc. Furthermore, the liquid contained in the container body 2 does not have to be a detergent, and may be, for example, a deodorant or fragrance used for clothing, etc.

The trigger type liquid ejector 3 comprises an ejector body 10, a nozzle portion 11, and an inverted forward/backward adapter 12.
The ejector body 10 is attached to the container body 2. The ejector body 10 includes a vertical supply tube portion 14 that sucks up the liquid in the container body 2, an injection tube portion 15 that guides the liquid sucked up by the vertical supply tube portion 14 to the nozzle portion 11, a trigger mechanism 16 that circulates the liquid inside the vertical supply tube portion 14 and the injection tube portion 15, and a fitting tube portion 25 that protrudes from the vertical supply tube portion 14.

The vertical supply tube section 14 is a cylindrical portion that extends in one direction as a whole. The vertical supply tube section 14 includes an outer tube section 21, an inner tube section 22, a connecting wall section 45, an attachment tube section 23, and a connecting tube section 24. The outer tube section 21 and the inner tube section 22 are cylindrical and arranged coaxially around the first axis O1. The attachment tube section 23 and the connecting tube section 24 are cylindrical and arranged coaxially around the second axis O2. In this embodiment, the first axis O1 and the second axis O2 are parallel to each other and arranged apart from each other.

In the following description, the direction along the first axis O1 is referred to as the up-down direction, and is shown as the Z-axis direction in each drawing. The up-down direction is the direction in which the vertical supply tube portion 14 extends. With the ejection container 1 in an upright position, the up-down direction from the trigger-type liquid ejector 3 toward the container body 2 (-Z direction) is referred to as the downward direction, and the up-down direction from the container body 2 toward the trigger-type liquid ejector 3 (+Z direction) is referred to as the upward direction.

In addition, in a plan view seen from the top and bottom, the direction intersecting the first axis O1 is called the radial direction. One of the radial directions is called the front-back direction, and is shown as the Y-axis direction in each drawing. The direction in the front-back direction in which the injection tube section 15 extends from the vertical supply tube section 14 (+Y direction) is called the front, and the opposite direction (-Y direction) is called the rear. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the front-back direction is called the left-right direction, and is shown as the X-axis direction in each drawing. In this embodiment, the second axis O2 coincides with the container axis of the container body 2, and the first axis O1 is eccentric to the rear with respect to the second axis O2 and the container axis of the container body 2. The first axis O1 and the container axis may be coaxial.

The outer tube 21 is a cylindrical shape with a top that extends in the vertical direction and opens downward. A discharge port 26 that opens forward is formed in the upper part of the peripheral wall of the outer tube 21. As shown in FIG. 2, a supply port 27 and a hole 21a that open forward are formed in the vertical center of the peripheral wall of the outer tube 21. The supply port 27 is located above the hole 21a. The supply port 27 may be located below the hole 21a. A communication groove 29 that extends in the vertical direction and opens downward is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 21. The upper end of the communication groove 29 is connected to the hole 21a. The lower end of the communication groove 29 opens at the lower edge of the outer tube 21.

In the vertical center of the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube portion 21, a fitting tube portion 25 is formed. In this embodiment, the fitting tube portion 25 is a cylinder that protrudes forward from the periphery of the hole portion 21a in the front part of the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube portion 21. The fitting tube portion 25 opens on both sides in the front-rear direction. The fitting tube portion 25 is, for example, integrally molded with the outer tube portion 21. The fitting tube portion 25 is inserted from the rear and fitted into the inside of the piston guide 78 described later. The inside of the fitting tube portion 25 is connected to the inside of the hole portion 21a. The inside of the fitting tube portion 25 and the hole portion 21a form a discharge port 28. The discharge port 28 is, for example, located below the supply port 27. The discharge port 28 connects the inside of the piston guide 78 described later and the recovery gap G. In other words, the inside of the fitting tube portion 25 is connected to the recovery gap G. As shown in FIG. 3, the front end of the fitting tube 25 has a tapered portion 25a in which the outer diameter of the fitting tube 25 decreases toward the front.

A ring-shaped seal protrusion 25b is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tubular portion 25. The seal protrusion 25b protrudes outward in the radial direction centered on the central axis of the fitting tubular portion 25. The seal protrusion 25b is, for example, annular and centered on the central axis of the fitting tubular portion 25. The seal protrusion 25b is, for example, provided on the outer peripheral surface of the front part of the fitting tubular portion 25. The seal protrusion 25b is, for example, located rearward of the tapered portion 25a.

The seal protrusion 25b contacts the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide 78 (described later) over its entire circumference. As a result, the seal protrusion 25b seals between the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide 78 and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder 25. When the fitting cylinder 25 is fitted inside the piston guide 78, the seal protrusion 25b is, for example, compressively elastically deformed radially inward around the central axis of the fitting cylinder 25.

In FIG. 3, the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tube portion 25 other than the portion where the seal protrusion 25b is provided faces the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide 78 with a gap therebetween, but this is not limited to the above. For example, at least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tube portion 25 other than the portion where the seal protrusion 25b is provided may come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide 78 due to further compressive elastic deformation of the seal protrusion 25b.

As shown in FIG. 2, the connecting tube portion 24 is located radially outward of the outer tube portion 21. The connecting tube portion 24 surrounds the lower end portion of the outer tube portion 21. In this embodiment, the connecting tube portion 24 is cylindrical and centered on the second axis O2. The upper end portion of the connecting tube portion 24 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube portion 21, except for the front portion. The front portion of the upper end portion of the connecting tube portion 24 is connected to the lower end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder tube portion 75 described later. The lower end portion of the connecting tube portion 24 is located below the lower end portion of the outer tube portion 21. In this embodiment, the connecting tube portion 24 is formed integrally with the outer tube portion 21.

The inner cylinder portion 22 is located radially inward from the outer cylinder portion 21. In this embodiment, the inner cylinder portion 22 is fitted into the outer cylinder portion 21 from below the outer cylinder portion 21. As described above, the outer cylinder portion 21 has a communication groove 29 formed therein, so that a recovery gap G that extends in the vertical direction and opens downward is formed between the portion of the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion 21 where the communication groove 29 is formed and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion 22. The recovery gap G opens into the inside of the mounting cylinder portion 23. The inner cylinder portion 22 is arranged coaxially with the outer cylinder portion 21. The lower end of the inner cylinder portion 22 protrudes downward from the outer cylinder portion 21. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper portion of the inner cylinder portion 22 constitutes a small diameter portion 34 whose outer diameter is smaller than that of the lower portion. A communication passage S1 is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion 22 and the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 34. The communication passage S1 extends in the vertical direction and connects the discharge port 26 and the supply port 27. The upper edge of the small diameter portion 34 is adjacent to or abuts against the top wall of the outer tube portion 21 from below the outer tube portion 21.

A valve seat 35 protrudes radially inward from the small diameter portion 34. The valve seat 35 is formed in a tapered cylindrical shape that extends downward as it moves radially inward. Within the inner cylinder 22, the space surrounded by the small diameter portion 34, the valve seat 35, and the top wall of the outer cylinder 21 defines an accommodation space 40 in which a ball valve 41 is accommodated. The ball valve 41 is configured to be able to move toward and away from the valve seat 35 due to the pressure within the accommodation space 40 and its own weight.

The ball valve 41 of this embodiment is formed from a material that has a higher specific gravity than the liquid contained in the container body 2 and can seat on the valve seat portion 35 by its own weight when the ejection container 1 is in an upright position. As such a material, a metal material (e.g., SUS) is preferably used for the ball valve 41 of this embodiment. However, as long as the above-mentioned conditions are met, the ball valve 41 may be formed from a material other than a metal (e.g., glass, etc.).

The accommodation space 40 communicates with the above-mentioned communication passage S1 through a notch 42 formed on the upper edge of the small diameter portion 34. When the ball valve 41 is seated on the valve seat 35, the accommodation space 40 is blocked from the portion of the interior of the inner cylinder 22 that is located below the accommodation space 40. This blocks communication between the interior of the inner cylinder 22 and the communication passage S1. When the ball valve 41 is separated from the valve seat 35, the accommodation space 40 is connected to the portion of the interior of the inner cylinder 22 that is located below the accommodation space 40. This allows communication between the interior of the inner cylinder 22 and the communication passage S1 via the accommodation space 40.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting tube portion 23 is cylindrical and opens on both sides in the vertical direction. The mounting tube portion 23 is located radially outward from the outer tube portion 21 and the inner tube portion 22. The mounting tube portion 23 surrounds the portion of the inner tube portion 22 that protrudes downward from the outer tube portion 21 and the lower end portion of the outer tube portion 21. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the mounting tube portion 23 is cylindrical and centered on the second axis O2. As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting tube portion 23 is fitted inside the connecting tube portion 24. In this embodiment, the mounting tube portion 23 and the connecting tube portion 24 are fixed by undercut fitting. The lower end portion of the mounting tube portion 23 is located lower than the lower end portion of the inner tube portion 22. The mounting tube portion 23 has an outer flange portion 51 that protrudes radially outward. The outer flange portion 51 is arranged opposite to the lower portion of the connecting tube portion 24. The outer flange portion 51 is located above the mouth portion 2a of the container body 2. The outer flange portion 51 is in contact with the mouth portion 2a via a sealing member.

2 and 4, the connecting wall portion 45 extends radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube portion 22. The radial outer peripheral edge of the connecting wall portion 45 is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube portion 23. As a result, the connecting wall portion 45 connects the inner tube portion 22 and the mounting tube portion 23. In this embodiment, the inner tube portion 22, the mounting tube portion 23, and the connecting wall portion 45 are integrally formed. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the connecting wall portion 45 is located above the lower end of the inner tube portion 22 and below the upper end of the mounting tube portion 23. The connecting wall portion 45 is disposed below and spaced apart from the cylinder tube portion 75 described later. Between the connecting wall portion 45 and the cylinder tube portion 75, an intermediate space S6 is defined. As shown in FIG. 4, the outer shape of the connecting wall portion 45 is, for example, a circular shape arranged coaxially with the second axis O2 when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the connecting wall portion 45 has a wall main body 45a that expands radially to connect the inner tube portion 22 and the mounting tube portion 23, and a protrusion 45b that protrudes downward from the wall main body 45a.
As shown in Fig. 4, the raised portion 45b is annular and surrounds the inner cylinder portion 22, and the inner peripheral edge portion is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion 22. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, a recess 46 that is recessed upward is formed in a portion of the raised portion 45b located on the front side. The recess 46 extends from the outer peripheral edge portion of the raised portion 45b to the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion 22. As shown in Fig. 2, a top surface 46a of the recess 46 is located below a lower surface 45c of the wall main body 45a. The top surface 46a is the surface of the inner side surface of the recess 46 that faces downward.

As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of ribs 47 are formed on the lower surface 45c of the wall body 45a. The plurality of ribs 47 extend radially and connect the radial outer peripheral edge of the raised portion 45b and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube portion 23. The plurality of ribs 47 are arranged at intervals from one another along the circumferential direction around the first axis O1. In this embodiment, for example, three ribs 47 are provided. One of the three ribs 47 extends in the front-rear direction and connects the radial outer peripheral edge of the portion of the raised portion 45b where the recess 46 is formed and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube portion 23. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower surface of the rib 47 is arranged at the same position in the vertical direction as the top surface 46a of the recess 46, for example.

The connecting wall portion 45 is formed with a first through hole 48 and a second through hole 49 that pass through the connecting wall portion 45 in the up-down direction.
The first through hole 48 vertically penetrates the portion of the connecting wall 45 where the raised portion 45b is provided. The first through hole 48 vertically penetrates the wall main body 45a and the raised portion 45b. In this embodiment, the first through hole 48 vertically penetrates a radially inward portion of the portion of the raised portion 45b where the recess 46 is provided.

As shown in Fig. 4, the first through hole 48 has an arc shape extending in the circumferential direction centered on the first axis O1 when viewed from the top-bottom direction. As shown in Fig. 2, the lower end of a portion of the outer tube portion 21 that faces the inner tube portion 22 across the recovery gap G is fitted from above into the first through hole 48. In this embodiment, the portion of the outer tube portion 21 that faces the inner tube portion 22 across the recovery gap G is the portion in which the communication groove 29 is formed. The outer peripheral surface of the outer tube portion 21 contacts the radially outer surface of the first through hole 48.
The first through-hole 48 has a first opening 48a that opens into the mounting tube portion 23. The first opening 48a is a lower end portion of the first through-hole 48. In the present embodiment, the first opening 48a is provided in a portion of the top surface 46a of the recess 46 that is closer to the inside in the radial direction.

The second through hole 49 penetrates in the vertical direction through a portion of the connecting wall portion 45 located radially outward from the raised portion 45b. The second through hole 49 penetrates in the vertical direction through the wall portion main body 45a. As shown in FIG. 4, the second through hole 49 is located forward of the first through hole 48 and is disposed at a different position in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) relative to the first through hole 48. The second through hole 49 is, for example, circular when viewed from the vertical direction. The second through hole 49 is located between adjacent ribs 47 in the circumferential direction around the first axis O1.

2, the second through hole 49 has a second opening 49a that opens into the mounting tube portion 23. The second opening 49a is the lower end of the second through hole 49. In this embodiment, the second opening 49a opens to the lower surface 45c of the wall body 45a. The second opening 49a is disposed away from the first opening 48a in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the second opening 49a is located forward of the first opening 48a and is disposed at a different position in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) from the first opening 48a. As shown in FIG. 2, the second opening 49a is disposed at a different position in the up-down direction from the first opening 48a of the first through hole 48. In this embodiment, the second opening 49a is disposed above the first opening 48a.

As shown in Fig. 1, the injection tube portion 15 is disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion 14. The injection tube portion 15 protrudes forward from the upper end portion of the outer tube portion 21. In this embodiment, the injection tube portion 15 is integrally formed with the outer tube portion 21. The inside of the injection tube portion 15 communicates with the above-mentioned communication passage S1 through the discharge port 26. The injection tube portion 15 has a front end opening portion 15a that opens forward.
A cylinder tube portion 75 is formed below the injection tube portion 15. The cylinder tube portion 75 is formed integrally with the outer tube portion 21, the connecting tube portion 24, and the injection tube portion 15. The cylinder tube portion 75 opens forward, and its rear end opening is closed by the outer tube portion 21. An outside air communication hole 82 is formed in a portion of the lower wall portion of the cylinder tube portion 75 that is located rearward of the portion where the connecting tube portion 24 is connected. The outside air communication hole 82 communicates between the inside of the cylinder tube portion 75 and the inside of the connecting tube portion 24. The outside air communication hole 82 opens into the intermediate space S6.

The trigger mechanism 16 includes a pump portion 61 having a cylinder 71 and a piston 72 , a cover body 62 , a trigger portion 63 , and an elastic plate portion 64 .
The cylinder 71 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that opens forward. In the following description, the central axis of the cylinder 71 is defined as a cylinder axis O3. The cylinder axis O3 extends in the front-rear direction. The cylinder axis O3 coincides with the central axis of the fitting cylindrical portion 25, for example. That is, the cylinder 71 and the fitting cylindrical portion 25 are arranged coaxially with each other, for example. The cylinder 71 includes a housing cylinder 77 and a piston guide 78 that extend coaxially with the cylinder axis O3, and a bottom wall portion 79 that connects the rear end edges of the housing cylinder 77 and the piston guide 78 to each other.

The storage tube 77 is fitted into the cylinder tube portion 75 formed below the injection tube portion 15. The storage tube 77 is formed with an outside air introduction hole 80 that introduces outside air into the container body 2 as the liquid flows into the cylinder 71. The storage tube 77 has both front-rear end portions in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder tube portion 75. Meanwhile, an annular gap P1 is formed in the center in the front-rear direction between the outer peripheral surface of the storage tube 77 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder tube portion 75. The gap P1 is connected to the inside of the cylinder 71 through the outside air introduction hole 80. As shown in FIG. 2, the gap P1 is connected to the second through hole 49 through the outside air communication hole 82 formed in the cylinder tube portion 75 and the intermediate space S6.

The bottom wall portion 79 is annular and centered on the cylinder axis O3. The outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion 79 is connected to the rear end of the housing tube 77. The inner peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion 79 is connected to the rear end of the piston guide 78. The bottom wall portion 79 is formed with a fitting portion 79a that protrudes rearward. The fitting portion 79a is fitted into the supply port 27. The fitting portion 79a is formed with a communication port 81 that penetrates the fitting portion 79a in the front-rear direction. The communication port 81 connects the inside of the cylinder 71 to the communication passage S1.

The piston guide 78 protrudes forward from the inner peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion 79. The piston guide 78 is formed in a topped cylindrical shape that opens rearward. The piston guide 78 is arranged, for example, coaxially with the fitting cylindrical portion 25. The inside of the piston guide 78 is connected to the inside of the fitting cylindrical portion 25. As a result, the inside of the piston guide 78 is connected to the above-mentioned exhaust port 28. The top wall portion of the piston guide 78 is formed with a through hole 83 that penetrates the top wall portion in the front-rear direction. The outer peripheral surface at the rear end portion of the piston guide 78 is formed with a recessed portion 84 that is recessed radially inward of the cylinder axis O3. The recessed portion 84 is formed around the entire circumference of the piston guide 78. The recessed portion 84 may be formed intermittently.

1, the piston 72 is housed in a housing cylinder 77 so as to be movable back and forth. The piston 72 includes a piston body 91, and an inner sliding portion 92 and an outer sliding portion 93 which serve as sliding portions connected to the piston body 91.
The piston body 91 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top that opens toward the rear. The piston body 91 is cylindrical and disposed coaxially with the cylinder axis O3. The piston guide 78 described above is inserted inside the piston body 91.

The inner sliding portion 92 extends rearward from the rear end opening edge of the piston body 91. The rear end of the inner sliding portion 92 is configured to be able to slide on the outer peripheral surface of the piston guide 78 as the piston 72 moves back and forth. In other words, the inner sliding portion 92 slides against the outer peripheral surface of the piston guide 78. When the piston 72 reaches its rearmost position, the rear end of the inner sliding portion 92 is in a position facing the recessed portion 84 in which the outer peripheral surface of the piston guide 78 is recessed. Therefore, when the piston 72 reaches its rearmost position, the rear end of the inner sliding portion 92 moves away from the outer peripheral surface of the piston guide 78. This allows the inside of the piston body 91 and the inside of the cylinder 71 to communicate through the space between the inner sliding portion 92 and the recessed portion 84.

The outer sliding part 93 is connected to the rear end of the piston body 91. The outer sliding part 93 surrounds the piston body 91. The outer sliding part 93 is formed in a tapered cylindrical shape with a diameter gradually increasing from the center in the front-rear direction toward the front and rear. Both front and rear ends of the outer sliding part 93 are configured to be able to slide on the inner circumferential surface of the housing tube 77 as the piston 72 moves forward and backward. In other words, the outer sliding part 93 slides against the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 71. The outer sliding part 93 closes the above-mentioned outside air introduction hole 80 when the piston 72 is at the frontmost position. On the other hand, the outer sliding part 93 opens the outside air introduction hole 80 when the piston 72 moves backward.
The inner sliding portion 92 and the outer sliding portion 93 slide as the piston 72 moves back and forth, thereby pressurizing and depressurizing the inside of the cylinder 71. As the piston 72 moves backward, the inside of the cylinder 71 is pressurized. As the piston 72 moves forward, the inside of the cylinder 71 is depressurized.

The cover body 62 covers the vertical supply tube portion 14 and the injection tube portion 15 from above, from the rear, and from both the left and right sides.
The trigger portion 63 is disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion 14. The trigger portion 63 extends while curving forward as it goes downward. The upper end portion of the trigger portion 63 is connected to the injection tube portion 15 so as to be rotatable about an axis C1 extending in the left-right direction. The trigger portion 63 moves back and forth by rotating about the axis C1. The central portion of the trigger portion 63 in the up-down direction is connected to the front end portion of the piston main body 91 so as to be rotatable about an axis C2 extending in the left-right direction and to be movable in the up-down direction. The piston 72 moves back and forth relative to the cylinder 71 as the trigger portion 63 rotates about the axis C1, i.e., moves back and forth.
Elastic plate portion 64 is interposed between injection tube portion 15 and trigger portion 63. Elastic plate portion 64 biases trigger portion 63 forward about axis C1. As a result, trigger portion 63 is disposed so as to be movable rearward in a forward biased state.

In this specification, "the trigger portion and the piston move back and forth" means that the trigger portion and the piston move so that their positions in the front-to-back direction change, and also includes the trigger portion and the piston moving at an angle relative to the front-to-back direction. For example, the trigger portion and the piston may move back and forth from a diagonally upward front direction to a diagonally downward rear direction. Also, for example, the trigger portion and the piston may move back and forth from a diagonally downward front direction to a diagonally upward rear direction.

The ejector body 10 further includes an attachment cap 52 that attaches the trigger-type liquid ejector 3 to the container body 2. The attachment cap 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape that extends in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the attachment cap 52 is cylindrical and arranged coaxially with the second axis O2. The attachment cap 52 is attached to the mouth portion 2a with the outer flange portion 51 formed on the attachment tube portion 23 sandwiched between the attachment cap 52 and the upper edge of the mouth portion 2a. In this embodiment, the attachment cap 52 is, for example, screwed onto the mouth portion 2a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ejector main body 10 is formed with a recovery passage S2 that connects the inside of the cylinder 71 to the inside of the container body 2 through the inside of the piston guide 78 and the inside of the fitting tubular portion 25 when the piston 72 is in the rear position. "When the piston 72 is in the rear position" means that the piston 72 is located at at least a part of the rearward range of the range of movement of the piston 72 in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, when the piston 72 is in the rear end position, the recovery passage S2 connects the inside of the cylinder 71 to the inside of the container body 2. The recovery passage S2 may also connect the inside of the cylinder 71 to the inside of the container body 2 when the piston 72 is in a position forward of the rear end position of the rear position.

In this embodiment, the recovery passage S2 communicates between the piston body 91 and the piston guide 78, the inside of the through hole 83, the inside of the piston guide 78, the inside of the fitting cylinder 25, the hole 21a, the recovery gap G, and the first through hole 48, and connects the inside of the cylinder 71 and the inside of the mounting cylinder 23. In this embodiment, the recovery passage S2 is composed of the through hole 83 of the piston guide 78, the inside of the piston guide 78, the discharge port 28, the recovery gap G (communication groove 29), and a flow path leading to the first through hole 48. The recovery passage S2 is a passage for returning bubbles remaining in the cylinder 71 to the container body 2. The recovery passage S2 communicates with the intermediate space S3 defined in the mounting cylinder 23 and the first mounting member 140 described later through the first through hole 48. The first opening 48a of the first through hole 48 is the lower end of the recovery passage S2, and constitutes the opening of the recovery passage S2 that opens into the mounting cylinder 23.

In addition, the ejector body 10 is formed with an outside air introduction passage S5 that communicates the inside of the mounting tube 23 with the outside space of the ejection container 1 through the second through hole 49. In this embodiment, the outside air introduction passage S5 is composed of an outside air introduction hole 80 formed in the storage tube 77, a gap P1 between the storage tube 77 and the cylinder tube 75, an outside air communication hole 82 formed in the cylinder tube 75, an intermediate space S6, and a flow path leading to the second through hole 49. The outside air introduction passage S5 communicates the inside of the mounting tube 23 with the outside space of the ejection container 1 when the piston body 91 moves rearward and the outside air introduction hole 80 is opened. The second opening 49a of the second through hole 49 is the lower end of the outside air introduction passage S5 and constitutes the opening of the outside air introduction passage S5 that opens into the mounting tube 23.

As shown in Fig. 1, the nozzle portion 11 is disposed in front of the ejector body 10. More specifically, the nozzle portion 11 protrudes forward from the injection tube portion 15. The nozzle portion 11 is formed with an ejection hole 112a for ejecting liquid. The nozzle portion 11 includes a connecting member 100, a nozzle body 101, a pressure accumulator valve 102, and a foam generating tube 133.
The connecting member 100 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top that opens to the rear. The front end of the injection tube portion 15 is fitted into the peripheral wall of the connecting member 100. The front wall of the connecting member 100 is formed with a communication hole 105 that penetrates the front wall in the front-rear direction. The communication hole 105 communicates with the inside of the injection tube portion 15 through the front end opening 15a of the injection tube portion 15. The front wall of the connecting member 100 is formed with a cylindrical mounting tube 110 that extends forward. The axis of the mounting tube 110 is eccentric downward with respect to the axis of the injection tube portion 15.

The nozzle body 101 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top that opens to the rear. The above-mentioned mounting cylinder 110 is fitted into the peripheral wall of the nozzle body 101. The space defined between the connecting member 100 and the nozzle body 101 constitutes the pressure accumulation chamber 115. The pressure accumulation chamber 115 communicates the inside of the injection cylinder 15 with the ejection hole 112a. The nozzle body 101 includes a nozzle cylinder portion 101a, a valve seat plate 101b that is disposed inside the nozzle cylinder portion 101a and has a valve seat portion 121 on which the pressure accumulation valve 102 is seated, a cap mounting cylinder portion 101c that protrudes forward from the valve seat plate 101b, a nozzle tip 112 that is assembled in the cap mounting cylinder portion 101c, and a covering cylinder portion 101d that protrudes forward from the valve seat plate 101b and surrounds the cap mounting cylinder portion 101c from the outside in the nozzle radial direction. The nozzle tip 112 has an ejection hole 112a.

The accumulator valve 102 is housed in the accumulator chamber 115 described above, urged forward by the coil spring 120, and is movable backward. The accumulator valve 102 is seated on a valve seat portion 121 formed on the valve seat plate 101b of the nozzle body 101, and closes the ejection hole 112a. As a result, the accumulator valve 102 blocks communication between the inside of the injection tube portion 15 and the ejection hole 112a. A small diameter piston portion 102a is formed in the rear half of the accumulator valve 102, and a large diameter piston portion 102b is formed in the front half of the accumulator valve 102. The accumulator valve 102 applies the pressure of the liquid introduced into the accumulator chamber 115 through the communication hole 105 to the small diameter piston portion 102a and the large diameter piston portion 102b. When this pressure exceeds a certain level, the difference in the pressure receiving area between the small diameter piston portion 102a and the large diameter piston portion 102b causes the accumulator valve 102 to move backward, and the ejection hole 112a is opened. This allows communication between the inside of the injection tube portion 15 and the ejection hole 112a via the accumulator chamber 115. In this way, when the internal pressure of the accumulator chamber 115 exceeds a predetermined value, the accumulator valve 102 moves backward to allow communication between the inside of the injection tube portion 15 and the ejection hole 112a. In other words, in this embodiment, the accumulator valve 102 corresponds to a valve portion that opens when a pressure greater than a predetermined value is applied, and allows liquid to be ejected from the ejection hole 112a.

The foam-forming tube 133 is located forward of the valve seat plate 101b. The foam-forming tube 133 is fitted onto the cap mounting tube 101c. The outer diameter of the foam-forming tube 133 is smaller than the inner diameter of the covering tube 101d, and an annular space is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the foam-forming tube 133 and the inner peripheral surface of the covering tube 101d. The foam-forming tube 133 is formed with an outside air introduction hole 137 that introduces outside air into the inside. The outside air introduction hole 137 penetrates the foam-forming tube 133 in the nozzle diameter direction. The outside air introduction hole 137 is located forward of the cap mounting tube 101c. Multiple outside air introduction holes 137 are arranged at intervals around the entire circumference of the foam-forming tube 133.

The trigger-type liquid ejector 3 of this embodiment is equipped with a lid 130 as a blocking means for blocking communication between the outside and the inside of the nozzle part 11 through the ejection hole 112a. The lid 130 is disposed on the nozzle part 11 and closes the ejection hole 112a from the front in an openable and closable manner. The upper end of the lid 130 is attached to the covering tube part 101d of the nozzle body 101 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left-right direction. Note that the blocking means is not limited to the lid 130, and may be configured to block communication between the outside and the inside of the nozzle body 101 through the ejection hole 112a by rotating the nozzle body 101 relative to the connecting member 100, for example.

The upright/inverted adapter 12 is disposed below the vertical supply tube 14. The upright/inverted adapter 12 is attached to the lower end of the vertical supply tube 14. The upright/inverted adapter 12 enables the liquid in the container body 2 to be sprayed when the spray container 1 is in either an upright position (with the mouth 2a facing upward) or an inverted position (with the mouth 2a facing downward).

The inverted holder 12 includes a first mounting member 140 and a second mounting member 141 that are assembled in the vertical direction, and a partition member 142 that separates the first mounting member 140 and the second mounting member 141. The first mounting member 140, the second mounting member 141, and the partition member 142 constitute the adapter body 12a of this embodiment.
The first mounting member 140 is mounted inside the mounting tubular portion 23. As shown in FIG 2, the first mounting member 140 includes a mounting tubular portion 145, an opposing wall portion 146, a protrusion portion 144, and a first mounting member main body 147.

The mounting cylinder portion 145 is cylindrical and arranged coaxially with the first axis O1. The mounting cylinder portion 145 is open on both sides in the up and down directions. An upper portion of the mounting cylinder portion 145 is fitted into the inner cylinder portion 22. A lower end portion of the mounting cylinder portion 145 is located lower than a lower end portion of the inner cylinder portion 22.
The opposing wall portion 146 extends radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the mounting tube portion 145. In this embodiment, the opposing wall portion 146 is located above the lower end portion of the mounting tube portion 145. The opposing wall portion 146 is plate-shaped with a plate surface facing the up-down direction. The opposing wall portion 146 is located below and spaced apart from the connecting wall portion 45. An intermediate space S3 is defined by the opposing wall portion 146, the connecting wall portion 45, and the mounting tube portion 23.
The protrusion 144 protrudes upward from the opposing wall 146. As shown in Fig. 5, the protrusion 144 extends in the left-right direction.

2, the first mounting member body 147 is a cylinder extending downward from the radial outer peripheral edge of the opposing wall portion 146. The first mounting member body 147 is a cylinder arranged coaxially with the second axis O2. The lower part of the first mounting member body 147 has a larger outer diameter and inner diameter than the upper part of the first mounting member body 147. The outer peripheral surface of the first mounting member body 147 is provided with a step portion 147a in which the outer diameter increases from the top to the bottom. The upper part of the first mounting member body 147 is fitted into the mounting tube portion 23 from below the mounting tube portion 23. The outer peripheral surface at the upper part of the first mounting member body 147 is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube portion 23. The upper end part at the lower part of the first mounting member body 147, i.e., the step portion 147a described above, is in close proximity to or in contact with the lower end edge of the mounting tube portion 23 from below the mounting tube portion 23. An inverted inlet 153 that penetrates the first mounting member body 147 in the radial direction is formed in the lower portion of the first mounting member body 147, in a portion that is located forward of the second axis O2.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the first mounting member 140 has a recess 143 that is recessed radially inward about the second axis O2. In this embodiment, a pair of recesses 143 are formed on either side of the second axis O2 in the left-right direction (X-axis direction). The recess 143 is formed across the first mounting member main body 147 and the opposing wall portion 146, and opens upward. The lower end of the recess 143 is located below the step portion 147a.

As shown in FIG. 6, the communication passage S4 is formed by being surrounded by the inner surface of the recess 143 and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube 23. That is, the communication passage S4 is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the inverted adapter 12 and the inner peripheral surface of the mounting tube 23. The communication passage S4 connects the intermediate space S3 and the inside of the container body 2, and connects the inside of the mounting tube 23 and the inside of the container body 2. That is, in this embodiment, the inside of the mounting tube 23 is connected to the inside of the container body 2 via the communication passage S4. As a result, the communication passage S4 connects the recovery passage S2 and the inside of the container body 2. That is, in this embodiment, the recovery passage S2 connects the inside of the cylinder 71 and the inside of the container body 2 via the intermediate space S3 and the communication passage S4.

In this embodiment, the minimum flow path cross-sectional area (cross-sectional area perpendicular to the opening direction) of the communication passage S4 is larger than the minimum flow path cross-sectional area of the recovery passage S2. The minimum flow path cross-sectional area of the recovery passage S2 is the minimum of the cross-sectional areas perpendicular to the opening direction of the through hole 83 of the piston guide 78, inside the piston guide 78, the discharge port 28, the recovery gap G (communication groove 29), and the first through hole 48. In this embodiment, the minimum flow path cross-sectional area of the communication passage S4 is set to be larger than the size of the bubbles generated in the cylinder 71.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the partition member 142 includes a first communicating cylindrical portion 160 and a second communicating cylindrical portion 161 .
The first communicating tube portion 160 is cylindrical and arranged coaxially with the first axis O1. The first communicating tube portion 160 is open on both sides in the vertical direction. A portion of the mounting tube portion 145 that protrudes downward beyond the opposing wall portion 146 is fitted into the first communicating tube portion 160 from above.

The second communicating tube 161 is connected to the front of the lower end of the first communicating tube 160. The second communicating tube 161 is cylindrical and opens on both sides in the vertical direction. The second communicating tube 161 is located forward of the second axis O2. The second communicating tube 161 gradually reduces in diameter as it goes downward. In this embodiment, the space defined between the second communicating tube 161 and the first mounting member 140 constitutes a valve chamber 165. The valve chamber 165 is connected to the inside of the container body 2 through the inverted introduction port 153 described above. The valve chamber 165 contains a ball valve 164 as a switching valve. The ball valve 164 opens and closes the lower end opening of the second communicating tube 161 by approaching and separating from the lower end opening edge of the second communicating tube 161. The inside of the second communicating tube 161 is connected to the inside of the container body 2 through the inverted introduction port 153.

The second mounting member 141 includes a blocking portion 170 and a fixed cylinder portion 171 .
The closing part 170 is formed in a bottomed tubular shape that opens upward. The closing part 170 is fitted into the first mounting member main body 147 with the partition member 142 sandwiched therebetween. The closing part 170 and the first mounting member main body 147 are fitted together via an undercut.
The fixed cylinder portion 171 penetrates the bottom wall portion of the closing portion 170 in the up-down direction at the rear of the closing portion 170. The fixed cylinder portion 171 is cylindrical and arranged coaxially with the first axis O1. The fixed cylinder portion 171 opens on both sides in the up-down direction. A suction pipe 175 is fitted into the lower portion of the fixed cylinder portion 171. The upper end opening of the fixed cylinder portion 171 is the upright inlet 171a. The upright inlet 171a is connected to the inside of the first communicating cylinder portion 160 described above. Therefore, the inside of the first communicating cylinder portion 160 is connected to the inside of the container body 2 through the fixed cylinder portion 171.

The adaptor body 12a is defined by a first space S7 and a second space S8.
In this embodiment, the first space S7 is a space extending from the space defined by the blocking portion 170, the fixed cylinder portion 171, and the second communicating cylinder portion 161 through the slit 182 to the mounting cylinder portion 145. The first space S7 communicates between the inside of the container body 2 and the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 14 through the upright inlet 171a.
The second space S8 is an internal space of the valve chamber 165. The second space S8 communicates with the inside of the container body 2 and the first space S7 through the inverted introduction port 153.

Next, the operation of the ejection container 1 will be described. First, the ejection operation in the upright position will be described. When the ejection container 1 is in the upright position, the ball valve 41 is seated on the valve seat portion 35 by its own weight, and the ball valve 164 is seated on the lower end opening edge of the second communication tube portion 161 by its own weight. In this way, the ball valve 164 blocks communication between the first space S7 and the second space S8 when the container body 2 is in the upright position with the ejector main body 10 attached to the container body 2.

When the ejection container 1 is in an upright position, in order to eject the liquid in the container body 2, the trigger portion 63 is pulled backward against the biasing force of the elastic plate portion 64. Then, the piston 72 retracts as the trigger portion 63 moves backward, and the inside of the cylinder 71 is pressurized. When the inside of the cylinder 71 is pressurized, the liquid in the cylinder 71 flows into the storage space 40 through the communication passage S1, and the ball valve 41 is pressed against the valve seat portion 35. This blocks communication between the inside of the container body 2 and the communication passage S1. Therefore, the liquid in the cylinder 71 is introduced into the injection tube portion 15 through the communication passage S1. When the liquid is introduced into the injection tube portion 15, the inside of the injection tube portion 15 is pressurized. Then, the inside of the small diameter piston portion 102a and the large diameter piston portion 102b in the pressure accumulator valve 102 is pressurized through the communication hole 105.

In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the large-diameter piston portion 102b is larger than the inner diameter of the small-diameter piston portion 102a. Therefore, a rearward pressure acts on the pressure accumulator valve 102 due to the difference in the pressure-receiving area between the small-diameter piston portion 102a and the large-diameter piston portion 102b. When the rearward pressure applied to the pressure accumulator valve 102 exceeds a predetermined value, the pressure accumulator valve 102 is moved backward against the forward biasing force of the coil spring 120. Then, the front end portion of the pressure accumulator valve 102 moves away from the valve seat portion 121, and the inside of the injection tube portion 15 and the ejection hole 112a communicate with each other through the communication hole 105, the inside of the pressure accumulator valve 102, and the gap between the front end portion of the pressure accumulator valve 102 and the valve seat portion 121. As a result, liquid is ejected from the ejection hole 112a into the foam-making tube 133.

At this time, negative pressure is created inside the foam-forming tube 133, outside air (air) is introduced into the foam-forming tube 133 through the outside air inlet 137, and the liquid mixes with the outside air inside the foam-forming tube 133, foaming into bubbles, and is ejected from the front end opening of the foam-forming tube 133. The liquid ejected from the ejection hole 112a into the foam-forming tube 133 is in the form of a mist, and for example, this mist of liquid collides with the inner surface of the foam-forming tube 133 inside the foam-forming tube 133, disrupting the flow of the liquid, which is mixed with the outside air and turns into bubbles.

When the pulling of the trigger portion 63 is stopped, the supply of liquid from inside the cylinder 71 to the injection tube portion 15 through the communication passage S1 of the vertical supply tube portion 14 is stopped. At this time, the forward biasing force of the coil spring 120 moves the pressure accumulator valve 102 forward, and the front end portion of the pressure accumulator valve 102 seats on the valve seat portion 121, blocking communication between the inside of the injection tube portion 15 and the ejection hole 112a.

The trigger portion 63 is urged forward by the elastic restoring force of the elastic plate portion 64 and returns to its original position. The forward movement of the trigger portion 63 causes the piston 72 to advance, generating negative pressure in the cylinder 71. At this time, the negative pressure generated in the cylinder 71 causes the liquid in the container body 2 to flow into the normal inversion adapter 12 through the suction pipe 175. The liquid that has flowed into the normal inversion adapter 12 then flows through the inner tube portion 22, pushing up the ball valve 41. This causes the ball valve 41 to move away from the valve seat portion 35, and the liquid is introduced into the cylinder 71 through the communication passage S1 and the communication port 81 (supply port 27). This makes it possible to prepare for the next injection.

Next, the ejection operation in the inverted position will be described. In the inverted position of the ejection container 1, the ball valve 41 is separated from the valve seat portion 35 by its own weight, and the ball valve 164 is separated from the lower end opening edge of the second communication tube portion 161 by its own weight. In this way, the ball valve 164 communicates the first space S7 with the second space S8 when the container body 2 is inverted with the ejector main body 10 attached to the container body 2.

Even when the ejection container 1 is in an inverted position, the cylinder 71 is pressurized by pulling the trigger portion 63 backward. Then, the liquid in the cylinder 71 and the communication passage S1 is introduced into the ejection tube portion 15 and the storage space 40. At this time, the gap is set so that the flow resistance when passing through the ejection tube portion 15 is smaller than the flow resistance when passing through the gap between the ball valve 41 and the valve seat portion 35. Therefore, by actively introducing the liquid into the ejection tube portion 15, it is ejected from the ejection hole 112a as described above.

On the other hand, when the trigger portion 63 returns to the front after the liquid is ejected, negative pressure is generated in the cylinder 71, just as in the upright position described above. Then, the liquid that has flowed into the valve chamber 165 (second space S8) through the inverted inlet 153 flows into the first space S7 from the lower end opening of the second communicating tube portion 161, and flows into the first communicating tube portion 160 through the slit 182. The liquid that has flowed into the first communicating tube portion 160 flows through the inner tube portion 22, and is then introduced into the cylinder 71 through the communication passage S1 and the communicating port 81 (supply port 27). This makes it possible to prepare for the next ejection.

However, in the ejection container 1, for example, when the amount of liquid remaining in the container body 2 becomes low, there is a possibility that air will be mixed into the cylinder 71 along with the liquid. The air mixed into the cylinder 71 tends to remain inside the cylinder 71 as air bubbles, which can lead to ejection problems and the like. Specifically, for example, the air (air bubbles) mixed into the cylinder 71 expands and contracts inside the cylinder 71, preventing negative pressure from being created inside the cylinder 71, which can cause problems in sucking up the liquid from inside the container body 2.

In this embodiment, when the trigger portion 63 is moved to the rearmost position, the inside of the piston body 91 and the inside of the cylinder 71 communicate with each other through the gap between the inner sliding portion 92 and the recessed portion 84. Then, the air bubbles remaining in the cylinder 71 flow into the piston body 91 through the gap between the inner sliding portion 92 and the recessed portion 84. The air bubbles that flow into the piston body 91 are discharged from the piston body 91 through the recovery passage S2 (the flow path leading to the through hole 83, the inside of the piston guide 78, the discharge port 28, the recovery gap G, and the first through hole 48). The air bubbles that pass through the recovery passage S2 reach the space S3 on the way, and are then discharged into the container body 2 through the communication passage S4. This makes it possible to suppress the obstruction of negative pressure in the cylinder 71, and to preferably suck up liquid from the container body 2.

In addition, if the pressure inside the cylinder 71 and the injection tube 15 remains high when the trigger portion 63 is moved to the rearmost position, there is a risk that the cut-off of the ejected liquid will decrease. In contrast, in this embodiment, when the trigger portion 63 is moved to the rearmost position, the inside of the cylinder 71 communicates with the inside of the container body 2 through the recovery passage S2. This makes it possible to reduce the pressure inside the cylinder 71 and the injection tube 15, improving the cut-off of the ejected liquid. In addition, the liquid inside the cylinder 71 that is not ejected can be recovered into the container body 2 through the recovery passage S2.

In this manner, in this embodiment, a forward inversion adapter 12 is provided which is attached to the lower end of the vertical supply tube section 14 while blocking communication between the recovery passage S2 and the interior of the container body 2, and a communication passage S4 is formed between the forward inversion adapter 12 and the vertical supply tube section 14, connecting the recovery passage S2 and the interior of the container body 2.
According to this configuration, the air bubbles and liquid discharged from the cylinder 71 into the recovery passage S2 are discharged through the communication passage S4 into the container body 2. This makes it possible to spray the liquid in either the upright position or the inverted position, and also makes it possible to prevent the air bubbles filling the recovery passage S2 from dripping through the outside air introduction hole 80 or the like.
In particular, in this embodiment, the minimum value of the flow path cross-sectional area of the communication passage S4 is larger than the minimum value of the flow path cross-sectional area of the recovery passage S2, so that air bubbles can be effectively discharged into the container body 2.

In particular, in a trigger-type liquid ejector 3 having a pressure accumulator valve 102, the air discharged from inside the cylinder 71 during priming (discharging the air inside the cylinder 71 and introducing liquid into the cylinder 71) may not completely escape through the ejection hole 112a, and may travel between the inside of the cylinder 71 and the inside of the vertical supply tube section 14 or the inside of the injection tube section 15. In this case, it is difficult to smoothly introduce liquid into the cylinder 71.

Even in such a case, in this embodiment, the trigger portion 63 is moved to the rearmost position to connect the piston body 91 to the cylinder 71, and the air in the cylinder 71 is discharged into the container body 2 through the recovery passage S2, the intermediate space S3, and the communication passage S4. This makes it easier to discharge air from the cylinder 71 during priming, and allows liquid to be smoothly introduced into the cylinder 71.

Furthermore, for example, when negative pressure is created inside the cylinder 71 and liquid is sucked in, the liquid in the container body 2 decreases. Therefore, negative pressure is generated inside the container body 2. In this case, if the inside of the container body 2 is sealed from the outside space, there is a risk that the container body 2 will be deformed by the negative pressure.
In contrast to this, the ejector body 10 of this embodiment is formed with an outside air introduction passage S5 that connects the inside of the mounting tube 23 with the outside space through the second through hole 49 when the pressure inside the cylinder 71 is reduced. Therefore, when liquid is sucked up from inside the container body 2, outside air can be introduced into the container body 2 through the outside air introduction passage S5 and the inside of the mounting tube 23. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the container body 2.

According to this embodiment, the first opening 48a of the first through hole 48 constitutes the opening of the recovery passage S2 that opens into the mounting tube 23, and the second opening 49a of the second through hole 49 constitutes the opening of the outside air introduction passage S5 that opens into the mounting tube 23. The second opening 49a is disposed away from the first opening 48a in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. Therefore, as described above, the liquid that flows into the mounting tube 23 from the first opening 48a through the recovery passage S2 can be prevented from flowing into the second opening 49a without being discharged into the container body 2. This prevents the liquid from flowing back through the outside air introduction passage S5, and prevents the liquid from leaking into the external space of the ejection container 1. In addition, since the liquid can be prevented from leaking into the external space, a stable discharge amount can be obtained.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the second opening 49a is disposed at a different position in the up-down direction relative to the first opening 48a. Therefore, the liquid that has flowed into the mounting tube portion 23 from the first opening 48a can be more effectively prevented from moving to the second opening 49a. In particular, in this embodiment, the second opening 49a is positioned higher than the first opening 48a. Therefore, when the ejection container 1 is used in an upright position, the liquid can be particularly effectively prevented from moving from the first opening 48a to the second opening 49a.

In addition, in this embodiment, the pressure accumulator valve 102 is provided as a valve portion that opens when a pressure greater than a predetermined value is applied, and allows liquid to be ejected from the ejection hole 112a. When such a pressure accumulator valve 102 is provided, the internal pressure of the cylinder 71 tends to become relatively large until the pressure accumulator valve 102 opens. In particular, when priming is performed from an empty state in the cylinder 71, the internal pressure of the cylinder 71 tends to become large. Therefore, the pressure of the liquid flowing from the cylinder 71 to the recovery passage S2 also tends to become relatively large. As a result, there was a risk that at least a portion of the liquid flowing through the recovery passage S2 would leak to the outside from between the piston guide 78 and the fitting cylindrical portion 25.

The case where the cylinder 71 is primed from an empty state includes, for example, a case where the container body 2 is emptied and then refilled with liquid, and a case where the container body 2 is emptied and then primed after replacing the container body 2 with another container body 2 filled with liquid. In these cases, when the cylinder 71 is emptied (air has entered the cylinder 71) after using the trigger-type liquid jet device 3 at least once, liquid is attached to the inner surface of the cylinder 71 and the outer surface of the piston guide 78. Therefore, if liquid is to be filled into the cylinder 71 by priming in this state, there is a risk that the liquid attached to the inner surface of the cylinder 71 and the liquid attached to the outer surface of the piston guide 78 will leak out from between the piston guide 78 and the fitting tube portion 25 as the internal pressure of the cylinder 71 increases. Therefore, when priming after refilling the container body 2 with liquid or replacing the container body 2 with another container body 2 filled with liquid, there is a particular risk of liquid leaking out from between the piston guide 78 and the fitting cylinder portion 25.

In response to the above problem, according to this embodiment, an annular seal protrusion 25b is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tubular portion 25 to seal between the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide 78 and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tubular portion 25. By providing the seal protrusion 25b by partially protruding the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tubular portion 25 in this manner, the seal protrusion 25b can be brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide 78 with a relatively large force, and the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide 78 and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tubular portion 25 can be suitably sealed. Therefore, even if the internal pressure of the cylinder 71 becomes relatively large and the pressure of the liquid flowing through the recovery passage S2 becomes relatively large, it is possible to suppress the liquid from leaking out from between the piston guide 78 and the fitting tubular portion 25. This makes it possible to suppress the liquid from leaking out from between the piston guide 78 and the fitting tubular portion 25 even in cases where the liquid is particularly likely to leak out, such as when the container body 2 is refilled with liquid and when the container body 2 is replaced with another container body 2 filled with liquid and then primed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, a trigger-type liquid ejector 3 that can prevent the liquid in the container body 2 from leaking to the outside can be obtained. In addition, the provision of the sealing protrusion 25b allows the fitting tube portion 25 to be firmly and stably fitted to the piston guide 78. Therefore, the vertical supply tube portion 14 can be firmly and stably attached to the cylinder 71 via the fitting tube portion 25. This can prevent the vertical supply tube portion 14 from rattling.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the seal protrusion 25b is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylindrical portion 25. Therefore, it is easier to mold the seal protrusion 25b than when the seal protrusion 25b is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide 78.

In addition, according to this embodiment, a recovery gap G that extends in the vertical direction and opens downward is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube portion 21 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube portion 22, and the inside of the fitting tube portion 25 is connected to the recovery gap G. The recovery passage S2 connects the inside of the cylinder 71 to the inside of the container body 2 through the recovery gap G. In this way, by utilizing the recovery gap G formed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube portion 21 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube portion 22, a recovery passage S2 that connects the inside of the cylinder 71 to the inside of the container body 2 through the inside of the fitting tube portion 25 can be easily provided.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the following configuration may also be adopted.
The seal protrusion may be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide, or may be formed on both the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder. When the seal protrusion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide, the seal protrusion may be cylindrical extending along the extension direction of the piston guide. In this case, by providing the seal protrusion, a step in which the inner diameter becomes smaller is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide, and a reduced diameter portion in which the inner diameter becomes smaller is provided in a part of the extension direction of the piston guide. In this case, for example, the fitting cylinder is press-fitted into the reduced diameter portion. In this case, the inner peripheral surface of the reduced diameter portion is the inner peripheral surface of the seal protrusion.

Specifically, for example, in the above-described embodiment, instead of providing the sealing protrusion 25b on the fitting cylinder 25, a sealing protrusion may be provided on the entire portion of the piston guide 78 where the front part of the fitting cylinder 25 is fitted and the portion located forward of that portion, and the portion where the sealing protrusion is provided may be a reduced diameter portion having an inner diameter smaller than the portion of the piston guide 78 where the rear part of the fitting cylinder 25 is fitted. In this case, the front part of the fitting cylinder 25 is pressed into the reduced diameter portion, so that the inner peripheral surface of the reduced diameter portion, i.e., the inner peripheral surface of the sealing protrusion, is suitably contacted with the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder 25, and the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide 78 and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder 25 can be suitably sealed.

In addition, when the seal protrusion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tubular portion, the seal protrusion may be cylindrical and extend along the extension direction of the fitting tubular portion. In this case, the provision of the seal protrusion provides a step in which the outer diameter increases on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting tubular portion, and an expanded diameter portion in which the outer diameter increases is provided in a portion of the extension direction of the fitting tubular portion. In this case, for example, the expanded diameter portion is press-fitted into the piston guide. In this case, the outer peripheral surface of the expanded diameter portion is the outer peripheral surface of the seal protrusion.

The valve portion may be provided at any location and may have any structure as long as it opens when a pressure greater than a predetermined value is applied and allows the liquid to be ejected from the ejection hole. The valve portion may be provided in the ejector body. In this case, the valve portion may be provided in the vertical supply tube portion.
The inverted forward adapter does not necessarily have to be provided.
The configurations described in this specification can be combined as appropriate within a range that does not contradict each other.

2...container body, 3...trigger type liquid ejector, 10...ejector body, 11...nozzle section, 14...vertical supply cylinder section, 21...outer cylinder section, 22...inner cylinder section, 25...fitting cylinder section, 25b...seal protrusion section, 63...trigger section, 71...cylinder, 72...piston, 78...piston guide, 91...piston body, 92...inner sliding section (sliding section), 93...outer sliding section (sliding section), 102...accumulator valve (valve section), 112a...ejection hole, G...recovery gap, S2...recovery passage

Claims (2)

An ejector body that is attached to a container body that contains a liquid;
a nozzle portion disposed in front of the ejector body and having an ejection hole for ejecting liquid;
a valve portion that opens when a pressure greater than a predetermined value is applied to allow liquid to be ejected from the ejection hole;
Equipped with
The ejector body includes:
a vertical supply tube portion that extends in a vertical direction and sucks up the liquid in the container body;
a trigger portion disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion and movable rearward in a forward biased state;
A piston having a cylindrical piston body to which the trigger portion is connected and a sliding portion connected to the piston body, the piston moving back and forth in accordance with the back and forth movement of the trigger portion;
a cylinder having a cylindrical piston guide inserted into the piston body, the sliding portion sliding in association with the forward and backward movement of the piston to thereby pressurize and depressurize the pressure;
a fitting cylindrical portion protruding forward from the vertical supply cylindrical portion and fitted into the piston guide;
Equipped with
The sliding portion includes an inner sliding portion that slides against an outer peripheral surface of the piston guide and an outer sliding portion that slides against an inner peripheral surface of the cylinder,
a recovery passage is formed in the ejector body, which communicates the inside of the cylinder with the inside of the container body through the inside of the piston guide and the inside of the fitting cylindrical portion when the piston is located at a rear position;
an annular seal protrusion is formed on at least one of an inner peripheral surface of the piston guide and an outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylindrical portion to seal between the inner peripheral surface of the piston guide and the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylindrical portion ;
A recess is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear end of the piston guide,
a front end portion of the fitting tube portion is located forward of the recess portion,
2. A trigger-type liquid ejector, comprising: a sealing protrusion located rearward of a front end of the fitting cylindrical portion; The vertical supply tube portion is
An outer cylinder portion extending in the vertical direction and opening downward;
an inner cylinder portion located radially inside the outer cylinder portion;
Equipped with
A recovery gap is formed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion, the recovery gap extending in the vertical direction and opening downward,
The inside of the fitting tube portion communicates with the recovery gap,
2. The trigger type liquid ejector according to claim 1, wherein the recovery passage communicates the inside of the cylinder with the inside of the container body through the recovery gap.

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