JP7702285B2 - Liquid application container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an improvement to a liquid application container in which a movable stopper is placed at the opening of a container that stores application liquid, and the stopper moves in the axial direction to open and close, allowing application liquid to be supplied to the application section.

For example, a liquid application container is known in which an application liquid such as a hair agent, cosmetic liquid, or cleaning liquid is stored in the container and a movable stopper is placed at the opening of the container, so that a fixed amount of the application liquid in the container can be dispensed to the application section by removing the cap covering the movable stopper and pulling up the movable stopper.
In this type of liquid application container, the movable plug is opened by removing the cap and pulling up the movable plug, so that the inside of the container and the measuring chamber can communicate with each other. In this state, the application liquid in the container can be introduced into the measuring chamber, so that the application liquid measured in the measuring chamber can be poured out to the supply location (application part).

In this case, although the movable plug can be pulled up by removing the cap, when the engaged portion provided on the movable plug is released from the cap, a problem occurs in that the movable plug is pushed down by the reaction force.
When the movable plug is pushed down in this way, the movable plug is in a state close to a valve closing state, which prevents the normal flow of the coating liquid from inside the container to the measuring chamber. As a result, the required amount of coating cannot be obtained at one time, and the operation becomes unstable, making it impossible to perform the original function of the liquid coating container.

Several proposals have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a cylinder is attached to the cap side and the inner wall of the cylinder is installed so as to surround a movable stopper placed at the opening of a container.
The inner wall of the cylinder is formed with protruding engagement portions for engaging with a movable stopper arranged on the container side at intervals along the axial direction, and the protruding dimension of these engagement portions relative to the movable stopper becomes gradually smaller toward the opening side of the cylinder.

With this configuration, when removing the cap, the highest engaging portion on the cap side engages with the annular lip formed on the tip of the movable plug, allowing the movable plug to be pulled out. Then, when the cap is finally removed, the lip separates from the lowest engaging portion of the cap, which reduces the reaction force when the cap separates, which is said to eliminate the problem of the movable plug being pushed down.

Patent Document 2 also discloses a configuration in which a cylinder is attached to the cap side and the inner peripheral wall of the cylinder surrounds a movable plug placed at the opening of a container.
In this example, T-shaped protruding engagement portions are provided intermittently along the inner circumferential wall of the cap.

According to this configuration, when removing the cap, the wide engagement portion of the T-shaped head engages with the annular lip formed at the tip of the movable plug, allowing the movable plug to be pulled out.
It is explained that the narrow engagement portion at the tail end of the T-shape is the last to separate from the lip of the movable stopper, thereby eliminating the problem of the movable stopper being pushed down by a reaction force when the cap is separated.

Patent Document 3 also discloses a configuration in which a cylinder is disposed on the cap side and is attached so that the inner peripheral wall of the cylinder surrounds a movable plug disposed at the opening of a container.
In this example, T-shaped protruding engagement portions are provided intermittently along the inner circumferential wall of the cap side, and the lengths of the tail end portions of the T-shaped engagement portions are different in the circumferential direction.

According to this configuration, when removing the cap, the wide engagement portion of the T-shaped head engages with the annular lip formed at the tip of the movable plug, allowing the movable plug to be pulled out.
In addition, because the narrow engaging portion at the end of the T-shape is of different lengths, the timing at which the lip of the movable plug separates from the engaging portion is dispersed, which is said to solve the problem of the movable plug being pushed down by a reaction force when the cap is separated.

Patent No. 5161027 Patent No. 5220547 Patent No. 5220548

Incidentally, according to the liquid application containers disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 to 3, a cylindrical body is arranged on the cap side, and a configuration is adopted in which an engagement portion for a movable stopper arranged on the container side is formed protrudingly on the inner wall of the cylindrical body.
With this, the engagement portion with the movable plug is formed along the inner wall surrounded by the cylindrical body, so that the degree of deformation of the engagement portion in the axial direction is small, and the engagement portion is, so to speak, formed on a rigid body.
Therefore, even if some ingenuity is put into the shape of the engaging portion formed on the inner wall of the cylinder, it is fundamentally difficult to fully absorb the reaction force that the engaging portion exerts on the movable stopper when the movable stopper separates from the engaging portion.

This invention was made with the above points in mind, and aims to provide a liquid application container that can reliably pull up the movable stopper placed on the container side when the cap is removed, and that can reliably absorb the reaction force applied to the pulled-up movable stopper at the moment the cap is separated from the container side, preventing the pulled-up movable stopper from returning to its original position. In this way, the main objective is to provide a liquid application container that can ensure smooth and reliable dispensing of the application liquid.

The liquid application container according to the present invention, which has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises a liquid container that contains an application liquid, a movable plug that is disposed at the opening of the liquid container and opens and closes by axial movement to allow the application liquid in the liquid container to be supplied to an application part, and a cap that can be attached to the liquid container while covering the movable plug, and a snap member is disposed within the cap that engages with an engagement groove formed on the circumferential surface of the movable plug when the cap is attached to the liquid container, and has a claw portion that pulls out the movable plug in the axial direction by removing the cap, and the snap member is provided with a holder that is attached to the inner surface of the cap, flexible members that have one end attached to the holder and extend in the axial direction, and the claw portion attached to the other end of each of the flexible members, and the unit of the flexible member and the claw portion is disposed in a ring shape around the holder and at equal intervals in three or more places, and each of the claw portions is formed to protrude toward the inner surface along the circumference.

In this case, a shell portion is preferably provided that covers the movable plug and forms a measuring chamber between the movable plug and the shell portion to store a predetermined amount of the coating liquid, and the movable plug is configured such that, as the movable plug moves in the axial direction, a sliding contact portion formed in an annular shape on the movable plug abuts and slides over the entire circumference against the inner diameter portion of the shell portion, and the sliding contact portion and the shell portion are each formed from a different material.

In addition, the applicator is attached to one end of a spring body, and a base end is formed at the other end of the spring body, and the applicator and base end are integrally molded via the spring body to form a spring unit, the applicator is positioned such that it receives a biasing force from the spring body that causes it to protrude toward the tip end of the movable plug, and the applicator and base end are desirably shaped symmetrically.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the movable plug has a plug member that constitutes a part of the measuring chamber, a communication port formed between the measuring chamber and the liquid chamber of the liquid container, and the communication port is opened and closed in accordance with the axial movement of the movable plug, the plug member is formed with a funnel-shaped recess, and a communication port is formed in the center of the recess that communicates the measuring chamber with the liquid chamber of the liquid container, and when the movable plug is turned upward, the funnel-shaped recess acts as an inclined surface so that the coating liquid in the measuring chamber can be guided by its own weight through the communication port into the liquid chamber of the liquid container.

In another preferred embodiment, the plug member that is fitted and attached to the opening of the liquid container is provided with a flange that abuts against the edge of the tip opening of the liquid container, and is integral with the plug member, so that the plug member is positioned and attached to the opening of the liquid container, and the overlapping portion between the edge of the tip opening of the liquid container and the outer tube portion that forms the flange of the plug member is inserted into the annular space formed between the inner fitting tube and the outer fitting tube of the shell portion, so that the liquid container, plug member, and shell portion are connected to each other and assembled.

According to the liquid application container of this invention, by removing the cap attached to the liquid container, the claw portion of the snap member attached inside the cap is engaged with the engagement groove formed on the circumferential surface of the movable plug and the movable plug is pulled up. In this case, since the claw portion of the snap member arranged on the cap side is engaged with the engagement groove formed on the circumferential surface of the movable plug, the movable plug can be reliably pulled up when the cap is removed. This makes it possible to supply the application liquid in the liquid container to the application section.

On the other hand, since the claw portion that pulls up the movable plug is formed at the end of a flexible member extending in the axial direction, the force with which the claw portion tries to return inward (to its original position) at the moment when the claw portion, which is engaged with the engagement groove of the movable plug, leaves the engagement groove is softened by the action of the flexible member.
Therefore, the flexible member can reliably contribute to reducing the reaction force acting to return the movable stopper to its original position when the movable stopper has been pulled up.

In addition, the unit of the flexible member and the claw portion is arranged in a ring shape on the holder of the snap member and at equal intervals in three or more places, so that when the movable stopper is pulled up, a pulling force can be applied evenly along the axial direction to the movable stopper. This makes it possible to provide a liquid application container that can ensure smooth and reliable dispensing operation.

1 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a liquid application container of a first embodiment according to the present invention, with a cap attached to the liquid container. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the liquid container with the cap removed. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid application container with the cap attached. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid application container in the middle of removing the cap. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid application container, showing a state immediately before the cap is removed. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion of the cap shown in FIG. 5 with a part cut away. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid application container with the cap removed. 8A and 8B are partial cross-sectional views of the liquid application container shown in FIG. 7, where (A) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the arrow aa in FIG. 7, and (B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the arrow bb in FIG. 1C is a central cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of the plug member; FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of the plug member; FIG. 1C is a central cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of the shell portion. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of the shell portion. 1C is a central cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of the first movable plug; FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of the first movable plug; FIG. 1C shows a single component of the second movable plug, in which (A) is a perspective view seen from the front end side, (B) is a perspective view seen from the rear end side, and (C) is a central cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction. 4A and 4B show the structure of a single spring unit, in which FIG. 1A and 1B are views showing assembled parts of a cap, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view seen from the rear end side, and FIG. 1B is a central cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction. 1C is a central cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of the snap member; FIG. 1C is a side view of the snap member; FIG. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid application container of a second embodiment according to the present invention with a cap attached. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the liquid applying container shown in FIG. 16. 13 shows the individual configuration of a plug member used in a liquid application container of the second embodiment, where (A) is an oblique view seen from the tip side, (B) is an oblique view seen from the rear end side, and (C) is a central cross-sectional view along the axial direction. 11 shows the individual configuration of the shell part used in the liquid application container of the second embodiment, where (A) is an oblique view seen from the tip side, (B) is an oblique view seen from the rear end side, and (C) is a central cross-sectional view along the axial direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A liquid applicator container according to the present invention will be described with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings.
In each of the figures shown below, the same or corresponding parts are indicated with the same symbols, but in the cross-sectional views showing the overall structure of the liquid application container, due to space limitations, representative parts are indicated with symbols, and more detailed structures are sometimes explained by referring to the symbols indicated in the drawings of each individual part that makes up the liquid application container.

1 to 15 show a liquid application container of the first embodiment, and among these, Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show its external configuration in perspective views. This liquid application container 1 comprises a liquid container 2 for storing application liquid, a discharge unit 3 provided on the tip side of the liquid container 2, and a cap 4 that covers the discharge unit 3 and is removably attached to the liquid container 2.
In this invention, the method of engaging the cap 4 with the liquid container 2 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it is a screw-type. That is, as shown in Fig. 2, a screw groove 2a is formed on the peripheral surface of the tip side of the liquid container 2, and a protrusion 4a (see Fig. 7) that screws into the screw groove 2a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the corresponding cap 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid container 2 has a liquid chamber R1 capable of containing a large amount of application liquid, and an opening 2b is formed on the tip side thereof.
A plug member 5 constituting a part of the discharge unit 3 is fitted into the opening 2b, and the discharge unit 3 is attached to the tip side of the liquid container 2 by fitting the plug member 5 into the opening 2b.
A shell portion 6 is attached to the plug member 5 at the axial tip side to form the outer shell of the discharge unit 3, and a first movable plug 7 and a second movable plug 8 are connected in the axial direction and housed within the connected plug member 5 and shell portion 6. The first movable plug 7 and second movable plug 8 form a movable plug that is movable in the axial direction.

A spring unit 9 is housed within the first movable plug 7 and the second movable plug 8, and a valve portion 9b which serves as the application portion is formed at the tip side of this spring unit 9, and this valve portion 9b is positioned in a state where it protrudes from the tip end of the second movable plug 8.
Furthermore, a bottomed, cylindrical second cap body 4A is fitted and attached to the inner bottom part on the top surface side of the cap 4. A snap member 11 is attached along the inner bottom part of this second cap body 4A, and the cap 4 is attached to the liquid container 2 with a claw part 11c (described later) formed on the snap member 11 engaging with an engaging groove 8d (described later) formed on the second movable plug 8.

Figures 4 to 8 show the process in sequence of how the movable stoppers 7 and 8 of the discharge unit 3 are pulled up by the claw portion 11c, which will be described later, formed on the snap member 11 when the cap 4 is removed from the liquid application container 1; this operation will be described later.

Figure 9 shows the single component configuration of the plug member 5, which is formed with a cylindrical portion 5a that fits into the opening 2b of the liquid container 2 described above, and a connecting portion 5b to the shell portion 6 (described below) that has a slightly smaller outer diameter than the cylindrical portion 5a. In addition, ring-shaped protrusions 5c and 5d are formed on the outer periphery of each of the cylindrical portion 5a and the connecting portion 5b, which are configured to function as retainers for the liquid container 2 and the shell portion 6, respectively.

A funnel-shaped recess 5e is formed on the tip side of the plug member 5, and a communication port 5f is formed in the center of this recess 5e. This communication port 5f communicates between the liquid chamber R1 of the liquid container 2 and a measuring chamber R2 for the coating liquid formed in the shell portion 6, which will be described later.
Furthermore, a number of small protrusions 5g are intermittently formed in the recess 5e near the communication opening 5f so as to surround the communication opening 5f. These small protrusions 5g function as cushions to absorb the impact of a step 7b of the first movable plug 7 that strikes the recess 5e when the first movable plug 7 (described later) is forcefully retracted inside the discharge unit 3.

10 shows the structure of the shell part 6. An inner fitting cylinder 6a and an outer fitting cylinder 6b are formed in a double structure at the rear end of the shell part 6. The shell part 6 is connected to the plug member 5 in the axial direction by inserting the connecting portion 5b of the plug member 5 into the inner fitting cylinder 6a.
On the other hand, the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2 is inserted into the annular gap between the inner fitting tube 6a and the outer fitting tube 6b, as shown in Figure 3, so that the entire ejection unit 3 is attached to the opening 2b of the liquid container 2.

A dome portion 6c is formed in the center of the shell portion 6, and a space that serves as a measuring chamber R2 capable of accommodating a predetermined amount of application liquid is formed inside the dome portion 6c. A first inner diameter portion 6d and a second inner diameter portion 6e are formed, the inner diameters of which are reduced in a stepped manner from the dome portion 6c toward the tip side, and the second inner diameter portion 6e supports the second movable plug 8 so as to be slidable in the axial direction.
Furthermore, an inward projection 6f that intermittently projects toward the axial center is formed at a position close to the dome portion 6c of the first inner diameter portion 6d. This projection 6f provides a certain clicking sensation to the connected movable plugs 7, 8 when the second movable plug 8 moves inside the shell portion 6. The projection 6f may be formed to project continuously.

11 shows the individual configuration of the first movable plug 7. This first movable plug 7 functions as a valve that controls whether or not the application liquid in the liquid holder 2 is introduced into the discharge unit 3 side.
The first movable plug 7 is formed with a ring-shaped first sliding contact portion 7a, the diameter of which increases slightly toward the tip side. When the first movable plug 7 moves toward the tip side together with the second movable plug 8, the first sliding contact portion 7a abuts and slides over the entire circumference against the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6. This prevents the coating liquid stored in the measuring chamber R2 from leaking between the first movable plug 7 and the shell portion 6.
It is preferable that the first sliding contact portion 7a of the first movable plug 7 and the shell portion 6 are made of different materials, and the effect of this will be described later.

A step 7b is formed in the center of the first movable plug 7, reducing the diameter, and a second sliding contact portion 7c is formed in an annular shape, with the diameter slightly increasing from this step 7b toward the rear side. When the first movable plug 7 moves toward the rear side together with the second movable plug 8, this second sliding contact portion 7c abuts against the communication port 5f of the plug member 5 over its entire circumference, and functions as a valve that closes the communication port 5f.

Therefore, as the first movable plug 7 moves forward toward the tip side, the second sliding contact portion 7c of the first movable plug 7 moves away from the communication port 5f of the plug member 5 to open the communication port 5f, and the application liquid from the liquid container 2 can be introduced into the measuring chamber R2. At this time, the first sliding contact portion 7a of the first movable plug 7 abuts against the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6, so that the application liquid introduced into the measuring chamber R2 is prevented from moving toward the second movable plug 8.
On the other hand, as the first movable plug 7 moves backward toward the rear side, the second sliding contact portion 7c of the first movable plug 7 comes into contact with the communication port 5f of the plug member 5 to close the communication port 5f. At this time, the first sliding contact portion 7a of the first movable plug 7 moves away from the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6, so that the coating liquid introduced into the measuring chamber R2 can move toward the second movable plug 8 side.

Furthermore, a cross-shaped rib member 7d is provided from the step 7b of the first movable plug 7 toward the rear side. This rib member 7d is arranged in a state where it is inserted into the opening 2b of the liquid container 2. The rib member 7d has plate ribs 7e erected radially in all four directions from the axis of the rib member 7d, and the flow path of the application liquid from the liquid container 2 is divided into approximately four in the circumferential direction.

Therefore, the space partitioned by the plate rib 7e becomes a liquid flow path from the liquid container 2 to the ejection unit 3, and since the liquid flow path is divided circumferentially by the cross-shaped rib member 7e, a liquid film is less likely to form and the flow of the coating liquid can be maintained smooth.
Furthermore, even if a liquid film is formed in one of the divided flow paths, the application liquid can be smoothly caused to flow toward the measuring chamber R2 through the other flow paths.
A bottomed axial hole 7g is formed in the columnar portion 7f surrounded by the first sliding contact portion 7a of the first movable plug 7. A base end portion 9d of the spring unit 9, which will be described later, is accommodated in this hole.

12 shows the structure of the second movable plug 8. As described above, the second movable plug 8 is connected to the tip end side of the first movable plug 7 and moves integrally therewith in the axial direction.
A short-shaft shaped cylindrical portion 8a is formed on the rear end side of this second movable plug 8, and a large diameter portion 8b with a slightly larger diameter is formed next to this cylindrical portion 8a, and a ring-shaped protrusion 8c is formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 8a.
The cylindrical portion 8a and the large diameter portion 8b are inserted into an annular gap formed between the first sliding contact portion 7a and the columnar portion 7f formed on the first movable plug 7. At this time, the ring-shaped protrusion 8c climbs over the ring-shaped protrusion formed on the columnar portion 7f of the first movable plug 7, so that the first and second movable plugs 7, 8 can be joined by fitting together.

On the other hand, an annular locking groove 8d is formed along the outer circumferential surface of the tip of the second movable plug 8. This locking groove 8d is engaged with a claw portion 11c of a snap member 11 (described later) disposed inside the cap 4, and acts to be pulled out in the axial direction.
The inner diameter of the inner surface of the second movable plug 8 on which the locking groove 8d is formed is made slightly smaller to form a coating liquid discharge hole 8e.
In addition, a cylindrical surface 8f of approximately the same diameter is formed along the axial direction between the engagement groove 8d and the large diameter portion 8b, and this cylindrical surface 8f is supported axially slidably along the second inner diameter portion 6e formed in the shell portion 6.

Furthermore, in the rear half of the cylindrical surface 8f, multiple axially long coating liquid inlet holes 8g (for example, four as shown in the figure) are intermittently formed along the circumference. These inlet holes 8g act to introduce the coating liquid from the measuring chamber R2 in the shell portion 6 into the second movable plug 8 when the first movable plug 7 and the second movable plug 8 retract and the first sliding contact portion 7a of the first movable plug 7 separates from the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6.

13 shows the single-item configuration of the spring unit 9. In this spring unit 9, an application part 9b is attached via a flange part 9c to the tip side of a meandering central spring body 9a, and a base end part 9d is attached via a flange part 9e to the rear end side of the spring body 9a, which are integrally molded from a resin material.
This spring unit 9 is housed inside the connected first movable plug 7 and second movable plug 8, and is arranged so that the tip of the valve portion 9b, which serves as the application portion, protrudes from the application liquid discharge hole 8e of the second movable plug 8 by the biasing force of the spring body 9a. In addition, the base end portion 9c on the rear end side is housed in the axial hole 7g formed in the first movable plug 7.

The application portion 9b and the base end portion 9d are each formed so as to form a cross shape when viewed in the axial direction, and the unit of the application portion 9b and the flange portion 9c and the unit of the base end portion 9d and the flange portion 9e are shaped symmetrically.
Therefore, the application portion 9b and the base end portion 9d can be used without distinction, which contributes to simplifying parts management.

14 shows the assembled state of the cap, and as already explained, the bottomed cylindrical second cap body 4A is fitted and attached to the inner bottom part on the top surface side of the cap 4. A cylindrical part 4b is molded integrally with the second cap body 4A at the inner bottom part of the second cap body 4A, and when the cap 4 is attached to the liquid container 2, the cylindrical part 4b accommodates the applicator part 9b within the cylindrical part 4b, and the end part of the cylindrical part 4b faces the tip part of the second movable stopper 8, acting to set the movable stoppers 7, 8 in a retracted state.
A snap member 11 is attached to the inner bottom portion of the second cap body 4A so as to surround the cylindrical portion 4b.

15 shows the individual configuration of the snap member 11. This snap member 11 includes an annular holder 11a disposed on the inner bottom surface of the second cap body 4A attached to the cap 4, flexible members 11b each having one end attached to the holder 11a and extending in the axial direction, and a claw portion 11c attached to the other step portion of the flexible member 11b.
The unit of flexible member 11b and claw portion 11c is disposed annularly on holder 11a at equal intervals, and each claw portion 11c is formed to protrude toward the inner surface along the periphery.

15, five units each consisting of a flexible member 11b and a claw portion 11c are provided and arranged at equal intervals on the holder 11a, and are integrally molded with the holder 11a from a resin material. It is preferable that the units each consisting of a flexible member 11b and a claw portion 11c are formed at equal intervals in three or more places.
A ring-shaped protrusion 11d is formed along the outer periphery of the annular holder 11a. This protrusion 11d fits over a ring-shaped protrusion formed in the second cap body 4A, thereby preventing the snap member 11 from coming off the second cap body 4A.

3 to 8 show in sequence the process of loosening the screw of the cap 4 attached to the liquid container 2 and removing the cap 4 from the liquid container 2. FIG.
3, as already explained, shows the state in which the cap 4 is attached to the liquid container 2, and in this state, the second sliding contact portion 7c of the movable plug 7 closes the communication port 5f of the plug member 5. Therefore, the application liquid in the liquid container 2 is prevented from flowing toward the discharge unit 3.

Figure 4 shows the state in which the cap 4 is being rotated to remove it from the liquid container 2. In this state, the movable plugs 7, 8 are pulled up toward the tip by the claw portion 11c of the snap member 11, and the second sliding contact portion 7c of the movable plug 7 keeps blocking the communication port 5f of the plug member 5, while the first sliding contact portion 7a of the movable plug 7 contacts the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6.

5 and 6 show the state immediately before the cap 4 is removed, in which the movable plugs 7, 8 are further pulled up, and the second sliding contact portion 7c of the movable plug 7 opens the communication port 5f of the plug member 5. Meanwhile, the first sliding contact portion 7a of the movable plug 7 contacts the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6, and the large diameter portion 8b of the movable plug 8 engages with the boundary portion between the first inner diameter portion 6d and the second inner diameter portion 6e of the shell portion 6. As a result, the pulled-up positions of the movable plugs 7, 8 reach the uppermost positions.
In this state, the protrusions 4a of the cap 4 are disengaged from the thread grooves 2a of the liquid container 2, so that the cap 4 can be separated from the liquid container 2 as shown in FIG.

Therefore, by turning the discharge unit 3 downward in this state, the application liquid in the liquid chamber R1 of the liquid container 2 flows into the measuring chamber R2 formed in the discharge unit 3 through the communication port 5f of the plug member 5. This causes the application liquid to fill the measuring chamber R2.
In this manner, with the discharge unit 3 of the metering discharge container 1 facing downward, when the valve portion 9b together with the movable stoppers 7, 8 is pressed against the supply portion (surface to be coated), the movable stoppers 7, 8 retract and the second sliding contact portion 7c closes the communication port 5f.

That is, when the communication port 5f from the liquid container 2 is closed by the first movable plug 7, the application liquid is measured by the measuring chamber R2.
Furthermore, when the valve portion 9b is pressed against the supply portion (surface to be coated) together with the movable stoppers 7, 8, the coating liquid in the metering chamber R2 flows into the movable stoppers 7, 8 through the coating liquid inlet hole 8g. Then, by pressing the valve portion 9b against the movable stoppers 7, 8, the coating liquid in the movable stoppers 7, 8 is dispensed onto the surface to be coated.

Figure 8 shows the state of the application section (valve section 9b) at this time, with Figure 8(A) being an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by arrows aa in Figure 7, and Figure 8(B) being an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion indicated by arrows bb in Figure 7.
As already described, the valve portion 9b constituting the application portion has a cross-shaped cross section perpendicular to the axis, and a flange portion 9c is disposed at the rear of the valve portion 9b. The valve portion 9b is disposed so as to protrude from the application liquid discharge hole 8e of the movable plug 8.

Therefore, when the valve portion 9b is pushed into the coating liquid discharge hole 8e, a gap is created between the flange portion 9c located at the rear of the valve portion 9b and the coating liquid discharge hole 8e, and the coating liquid is discharged from this gap. As a result, the coating liquid is discharged through four discharge holes formed along the axial direction between the valve portion 9b, which has a cross-shaped cross section, and the coating liquid discharge hole 8e.

As described above, when the ejection of the coating liquid from the movable stoppers 7 and 8 is completed and the cap 4 is replaced and closed, the claw portion 11c on the cap 4 side engages with the locking groove 8d of the second movable stopper 8. When the cap 4 is removed again, the movable stoppers 7 and 8 are pulled up, opening the flow path from the liquid chamber R1 of the liquid container 2 to the measuring chamber R2, making it possible to supply the coating liquid to the measuring chamber R2.

As explained at the beginning, in this type of liquid application container 1, the moment the cap 4 is removed from the liquid container 2, a problem can occur in which the movable plugs 7, 8 that have already been raised are pushed down by a reaction force.
Therefore, according to the liquid application container 1 of the present invention which employs the above-mentioned snap member 11, the reaction force pushing down the movable plugs 7, 8 can be reliably reduced, and the action thereof will be explained below.

15, the snap member 11 has a configuration in which a claw portion 11c is provided on a holder 11a via a flexible member 11b. That is, the flexible member 11b is formed in a band shape with a relatively thin thickness, and is disposed along the axial direction of the holder 11a.
15C, the snap member 11 can withstand a large force in the direction of the arrow Y when the claw portion 11c pulls up the movable plugs 7, 8. Also, the force (reaction force) in the direction of the arrow X when the cap 4 is removed from the liquid container 2 and the claw portion 11c returns to its original state is reduced by the action of the thin flexible member 11b.

Therefore, when the movable stoppers 7, 8 are pulled up, the force acting in the direction of arrow Y in FIG. 15(C) can pull the movable stoppers 7, 8 up to their upper limit position. In addition, the reaction force generated when the claw portion 11c is released from the engagement groove 8d of the movable stopper 8 and returns to its original state is kept small, so that the force pushing down the pulled-up movable stoppers 7, 8 can be reliably reduced.

Incidentally, according to the values obtained by analysis, it has been verified that the force (as indicated by arrow Y) required to pull up the movable stoppers 7, 8 of the prototype liquid application container 1 is 10 N or more, and that the movable stoppers 7, 8 will not be pushed down if the force is 4 N or less.
According to a structural analysis of the prototype snap member 11, the force acting as the arrow Y when the claw portion 11c opens and disengages from the engagement groove 8d of the movable plug 8 is as follows:
3.25N per claw portion 11c × 5 claw portions = 16.25N ... (Equation 1)
The force acting to return the claw portion 11c to its original position after it has been disengaged from the engagement groove 8d of the movable plug 8 (the force acting in the direction of the arrow X) is as follows:
0.8N per claw portion 11c × 5 claw portions = 4N (Equation 2)
We were able to obtain the following results.

The results of this analysis also show that by using the snap member 11 configured as described above, it is possible to provide a liquid application container that can reliably pull up the movable stoppers 7, 8 when the cap 4 is removed, and that can reliably reduce the reaction force that tries to return the movable stoppers 7, 8 to the pulled-up movable stoppers 7, 8.

The snap member 11 used in this embodiment has a unit of flexible member 11b and claw portion 11c arranged at equal intervals at five locations along the holder 11a. However, by arranging these units at equal intervals at three or more locations, it is possible to apply a pulling force evenly along the axial direction to the movable stoppers 7, 8 when the movable stoppers 7, 8 are pulled up. This makes it possible to provide a liquid application container that can ensure smooth and reliable operation.

Most of the components constituting the liquid application container 1 described above can be molded from a resin material.
In this case, it is preferable that the first movable plug 7 having the first sliding contact portion 7a and the shell portion 6 are formed from different materials. That is, the first sliding contact portion 7a acts to abut and slide against the first inner diameter portion 6d of the shell portion 6 over the entire circumference, thereby preventing the coating liquid stored in the measuring chamber R2 from leaking between the first movable plug 7 and the shell portion 6.

In this case, it is preferable that the shell portion 6 is molded from, for example, polypropylene (PP), and the first movable plug 7 (first sliding contact portion 7a) is molded from, for example, polyethylene (PE) which is softer than PP.
This allows the first sliding contact portion 7a of the movable plug 7 to flexibly deform and slide against the material forming the shell portion 6 while adhering closely to it, thereby avoiding the problem of the coating liquid in the measuring chamber R2 leaking from parts other than the coating portion at the tip (valve portion 9b), which would reduce the commercial value of the product.

In this embodiment, the plug member 5 is formed with a funnel-shaped recess 5e, and a communication port 5f is formed in the center of the recess 5e.
The funnel-shaped recess 5e formed in the stopper member 5 acts as an inclined surface when the discharge unit 3 (movable stoppers 7, 8) is turned upward, so as to guide the application liquid in the measuring chamber R2 by its own weight through the communication port 5f into the liquid chamber R2 of the liquid container 2.

With this configuration, for example, as shown in Figure 7, when the movable stoppers 7, 8 are pulled up and the movable stoppers 7, 8 are faced downward and the coating liquid is introduced into the measuring chamber R2, if the coating operation is stopped in this state and the liquid coating container 1 is placed on a desk or the like, the coating liquid in the measuring chamber R2 is quickly returned into the liquid chamber R1 of the liquid container 2 by the inclined surface of the recessed portion 5e.
This makes it possible to avoid the problem of a small amount of application liquid remaining in the measuring chamber R2.

Next, Fig. 16 to Fig. 19 show a liquid application container of the second embodiment, and Fig. 16 shows a cross-sectional view of the overall configuration of the liquid application container 1 with the cap 4 attached. This corresponds to Fig. 3 showing the liquid application container 1 of the first embodiment already described, and Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the main part of the liquid application container 1 shown in Fig. 16. Also, Figs. 18 and 19 show the individual configurations of the plug member 5 and shell part 6 employed in the liquid application container 1 of the second embodiment, and the configurations of these components will be described first.
In Figures 16 to 19, parts corresponding to each part of the liquid application container 1 of the first embodiment are indicated by the same symbols, and therefore detailed explanations and explanations of their functions and effects are omitted. In the following, the unique configuration and functions and effects of the liquid application container 1 of the second embodiment will mainly be described.

In the plug member 5 employed in the second embodiment, as shown particularly in the cross-sectional view of Figure 18 (C), a cylindrical outer tube portion 5j is molded continuous with the tubular portion 5a in a substantially flush state along the axial direction of the plug member 5, and this tubular portion 5a and the outer tube portion 5j are fitted into the opening 2b of the liquid container 2 and attached.
In other words, the outer tube portion 5j is formed to surround the connecting portion 5b to the shell portion 6, and is configured to fit and support the inner fitting tube 6a of the shell portion 6 by annular groove 5k formed between the outer tube portion 5j and the connecting portion 5b.
In addition, a ring-shaped flange portion 5m is integrally molded outwardly at the front end portion of the outer tube portion 5j, and the flange portion 5m abuts against the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2, thereby determining the axial position of the stopper member 5 relative to the liquid container 2.

On the other hand, the shell portion 6 shown in Figure 19 used in this liquid application container 1 is formed in a double structure of an inner fitting tube 6a and an outer fitting tube 6b, and in particular, the outer fitting tube 6b is formed longer toward the rear end side compared to the outer fitting tube 6b in the first embodiment shown in Figure 10.
As a result, the outer fitting tube 6b of the shell portion 6 can contact the liquid container 2 at a relatively long distance from the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2 along the opening peripheral surface of the liquid container 2, which contributes to stabilizing the attachment of the shell portion 6 to the liquid container 2.
The shell portion 6 is attached to the liquid container 2 and the stopper member 5 by inserting the overlapping portion of the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2 and the outer tube portion 5j of the stopper member 5 into the annular space 6g formed between the inner fitting tube 6a and the outer fitting tube 6b of the shell portion 6.

The overall configuration of the liquid application container 1 of the second embodiment is shown in Figure 16, with the cap 4 and second cap body 4A side shown in Figure 16 being shown rotated 90 degrees axially from the state shown in Figure 3.
17, the flange 5m formed on the plug member 5 is engaged with the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2, and the plug member 5 is positioned and attached to the liquid container 2. That is, the cylindrical portion 5a and the outer cylindrical portion 5j of the plug member 5 are inserted and fitted into the opening 2b of the liquid container 2, and the flange 5m is engaged with the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2, thereby positioning the plug member 5 in the axial direction with respect to the liquid container 2.

The inner fitting tube 6a of the shell portion 6 is inserted into the annular groove 5k of the plug member 5, and the overlapping portion of the tip opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2 and the outer tube portion 5j of the plug member 5 is inserted into the annular space 6g formed between the inner fitting tube 6a and the outer fitting tube 6b of the shell portion 6, thereby connecting and assembling the liquid container 2, plug member 5 and shell portion 6 to each other.
This configuration makes it possible to improve the relative positional accuracy between the liquid container 2, the plug member 5 and the shell portion 6, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the application liquid by the measuring chamber R2 formed within the shell portion 6.

In addition, in this liquid applying container 1, a first annular projection 2d and a second annular projection 2e are formed on the upper and lower sides of the vicinity of the opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2, as shown in FIG.
The first annular protrusion 2d contacts the inner surface of the base end side of the outer fitting cylinder 6b of the shell portion 6, and the second annular protrusion 2e contacts the inner surface of the rear opening of the outer fitting cylinder 6b. That is, in the liquid applicator container 1 of the second embodiment, the axial length dimension of the outer fitting cylinder 6b of the shell portion 6 is formed longer than that of the liquid applicator container 1 of the first embodiment, and the outer fitting cylinder 6b of the shell portion 6 is supported at two points, the first annular protrusion 2d and the second annular protrusion 2e, which are formed at a predetermined distance near the opening edge 2c of the liquid container 2.
This configuration improves the problem that the shell part 6 easily comes off the liquid container 2 when a so-called prying force is applied to the outer fitting tube 6b part of the shell part 6, for example with the tip of a screwdriver tool, and makes it possible to provide a liquid application container with improved attachment strength of the shell part 6 to the liquid container 2.

In addition, in the liquid applying container 1 shown in Fig. 16, the length of the locking groove 8d formed in the second movable plug 8 is set to be larger than that of the liquid applying container 1 of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 3. Accordingly, the length of the applying portion 9b and the base end portion 9d in the spring unit 9 are each increased, and the axial length of the cylindrical portion 4b formed on the inner bottom portion of the second cap body 4A is reduced.
16, where the cap 4 is attached to the liquid container 2, the claw portion 11c of the snap member 11 disposed in the cap 4 reaches the position of the locking groove 8d of the second movable plug 8 with a margin. Therefore, when the cap 4 is removed from the liquid container 2, the locking action of the claw portion 11c of the snap member 11 ensures that the movable plugs 7, 8 are raised to the uppermost position. This makes it possible to reliably perform the metering operation of the coating liquid in the liquid container 2 to fill the measuring chamber R2, and ensures the reliability of the metering operation of this type of liquid applying container 1.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Liquid application container 2 Liquid container 2b Opening 2c Tip opening edge 2d First annular protrusion 2e Second annular protrusion 3 Discharge unit 4 Cap 4A Second cap body 5 Plug member 5a Cylindrical body portion 5b Connecting portion 5e Funnel-shaped recessed portion 5f Communication port 5j Outer cylindrical body 5k Annular groove 5m Flange portion 6 Shell portion 6a Inner fitting cylinder 6b Outer fitting cylinder 6c Dome portion 6d First inner diameter portion 6e Second inner diameter portion 6g Annular space 7 First movable plug (movable plug)
7a First sliding contact portion 7c Second sliding contact portion 7d Rib member 7e Plate rib 8 Second movable stopper (movable stopper)
8d: locking groove 8e: coating liquid discharge hole 8g: coating liquid inlet hole 9: spring unit 9a: spring body 9b: coating portion (valve portion)
9d Base end portion 11 Snap member 11a Holder 11b Flexible member 11c Claw portion R1 Liquid chamber R2 Measuring chamber

Claims (2)

a liquid container for storing a coating liquid; a movable plug that is disposed at an opening of the liquid container and opens and closes by axial movement to enable the coating liquid in the liquid container to be supplied to an application section; and a cap that can be attached to the liquid container in a state of covering the movable plug;
a snap member having a claw portion is disposed within the cap, the claw portion engaging with an engaging groove formed on a peripheral surface of the movable plug when the cap is attached to the liquid container, and pulling out the movable plug in an axial direction by removing the cap;
The snap member includes a holder that is attached to the inner surface of the cap, a flexible member that is attached to the holder at one end and extends in the axial direction, and the claw portion that is attached to the other end of the flexible member,
The flexible member and claw unit is arranged annularly on the holder at three or more equal intervals, and each claw is formed to protrude toward an inner surface along a circumference ,
the application part is attached to one end of a spring body, and a base part is formed at the other end of the spring body, and the application part and the base part are integrally molded via the spring body to form a spring unit;
A liquid applicator container characterized in that the applicator part is positioned so as to receive a biasing force from the spring body to protrude toward the tip end of the movable plug, and the applicator part and the base end part are shaped symmetrically . a liquid container for storing a coating liquid; a movable plug that is disposed at an opening of the liquid container and opens and closes by axial movement to enable the coating liquid in the liquid container to be supplied to an application section; and a cap that can be attached to the liquid container in a state of covering the movable plug;
a snap member having a claw portion is disposed within the cap, the claw portion engaging with an engaging groove formed on a peripheral surface of the movable plug when the cap is attached to the liquid container, and pulling out the movable plug in an axial direction by removing the cap;
The snap member includes a holder that is attached to the inner surface of the cap, a flexible member that is attached to the holder at one end and extends in the axial direction, and the claw portion that is attached to the other end of the flexible member,
The flexible member and claw unit is arranged annularly on the holder at three or more equal intervals, and each claw is formed to protrude toward an inner surface along a circumference ,
a shell portion that covers the movable plug and forms a measuring chamber between the movable plug and the shell portion to store a predetermined amount of the coating liquid;
a sliding contact portion formed in an annular shape on the movable plug is configured to slide in contact with an inner diameter portion of the shell portion over the entire circumference thereof in response to axial movement of the movable plug, the sliding contact portion and the shell portion being formed from different materials,
a plug member that constitutes a part of the measuring chamber, a communication port being formed between the measuring chamber and a liquid chamber of a liquid container, the communication port being opened and closed in accordance with the axial movement of the movable plug;
a funnel-shaped recess is formed in the plug member, and a communication port is formed in the center of the recess, which communicates between the measuring chamber and a liquid chamber of a liquid container; when the movable plug is turned upright, the funnel-shaped recess acts as an inclined surface, so that the application liquid in the measuring chamber can be guided by its own weight through the communication port into the liquid chamber of the liquid container;
a plug member that is fitted and attached to the opening of the liquid container has a flange that is integral with the plug member and abuts against the edge of the tip opening of the liquid container, so that the plug member is positioned and attached to the opening of the liquid container;
A liquid application container characterized in that the liquid container, the stopper member and the shell portion are connected to each other and assembled by inserting the overlapping portion between the tip opening edge of the liquid container and the outer tube portion forming the flange portion of the stopper member into the annular space formed between the inner fitting tube and the outer fitting tube of the shell portion.

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