JP7724682B2 - Dispenser - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dispenser.

Conventionally, there has been known a dispenser that includes a stem arranged inside the mouth of a container body so as to be movable downward while being biased upward, a cylinder into which the stem is inserted, a piston that is linked to the up and down movement of the stem and is fitted into the cylinder so as to be able to slide up and down, and a push-down head that is attached to the upper end of the stem and has a nozzle hole for discharging the contents.
This type of dispenser allows the contents to be dispensed by pressing down the depression head, but if an external force is suddenly applied to the depression head, for example during storage, the depression head is easily pressed down, which can result in the contents being dispensed unintentionally.

As shown in Patent Document 1 below, for example, a dispenser is known in which a removably mounted cover that restricts the depression of the press-down head is placed between the mounting cap that attaches the cylinder to the mouth of the container and the press-down head. In this case, by attaching the cover, it is possible to prevent the press-down head from being depressed unintentionally.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-078255

However, the cover must be attached and removed every time the dispenser is used, which can be time-consuming. Furthermore, the removed cover must be stored separately, and there is also the risk of losing the cover.

The present invention was made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a dispenser that can prevent the unintended discharge of contents due to unexpected external forces, without requiring any removable parts such as a cover.

(1) A dispenser according to the present invention comprises a cylindrical stem arranged inside the mouth of a container body that contains contents and that is biased upward so as to be movable downward; a cylindrical piston that links with the up and down movement of the stem; a cylindrical cylinder into which the piston is fitted so as to be able to slide up and down; a push-down head that has a nozzle hole for discharging the contents and is attached to the upper end of the stem and is rotatable around the container axis of the container body; and a guide cylinder that guides the movement of the push-down head, and the push-down head can be moved between a restricted position where downward movement is restricted and a guide cylinder where downward movement is permitted by rotation around the container axis. a guide mechanism is provided between the guide cylinder and the push-down head to guide the push-down head between the restricting position and the restricting position along a circumferential direction around the axis of the container, and the guide mechanism allows the push-down head to move downward when the push-down head is located at the restricting position, and restricts the downward movement of the push-down head while lifting the push-down head above the restricting position as the push-down head moves from the restricting position toward the restricting position, and when the push-down head is pressed down, the contents in the cylinder are passes through the piston and rises within the stem to reach the nozzle hole, and the volume of the space from the inside of the piston to the nozzle hole becomes larger than the volume of the space when the press-down head is positioned at the permitted position due to the guide mechanism pulling the press-down head upward, and the guide mechanism includes a protrusion formed to protrude radially from the press-down head, and a guide groove formed in the guide cylinder and movably housing the protrusion, and the guide groove allows the protrusion to move downward when the press-down head is positioned at the permitted position. and a circumferential groove extending in the circumferential direction and communicating with the vertical groove, in which the protrusion is disposed when the pressing head is positioned at the restricting position, wherein a bottom wall surface of the circumferential groove serves as a restricting wall that contacts the protrusion from below to restrict downward movement of the protrusion, and the protrusion rides up from the vertical groove onto the restricting wall as it is pulled upward as the pressing head rotates from the allowable position to the restricting position, and the inner peripheral surface of the circumferential groove presses against the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion, thereby applying resistance to the protrusion .

According to the dispenser of the present invention, when the push-down head is in the restricted position, the guide mechanism restricts the downward movement of the push-down head, so that even if an unexpected external force acts on the push-down head, the push-down head will not be depressed, and unintended dispensing of the contents can be prevented.
To dispense the contents, the push-down head is rotated around the container axis to move from the restricted position to the permitted position. The circumferential movement of the push-down head is guided by the guide mechanism, allowing it to move smoothly to the permitted position with little rattle, and once it reaches the permitted position, downward movement is permitted. Therefore, the push-down head can be depressed against the upward bias, and the piston can be depressed together with the stem. As a result, the contents can be dispensed through the nozzle hole.

As described above, the push-down head cannot be depressed unless it is switched from the restricting position to the allowing position, which prevents the contents from being unintentionally dispensed due to unexpected external forces, for example, during product distribution or storage. Furthermore, because the stem does not move downward unintentionally, it is possible to prevent, for example, a deterioration in the dispenser's sealing performance or the contents from being exposed to the outside air. Furthermore, because the push-down head cannot be depressed without the use of removable parts such as a cover, the dispenser is easy to use and offers excellent operability.

In particular, when the press-down head is positioned in the restricted position, the guide mechanism can restrict downward movement of the press-down head while lifting it upward. Therefore, the position of the press-down head can be lifted higher than when it is in the permitted position. As a result, as the press-down head is lifted upward, the length of the flow path from inside the piston to the nozzle hole can be made longer than the length of the flow path when the press-down head is in the permitted position. This increases the volume of the space from inside the piston to the nozzle hole. Therefore, any remaining contents inside the nozzle hole can be drawn back into the nozzle hole, preventing dripping and other problems through the so-called suck-back effect.

Furthermore , when the push-down head is positioned in the restricted position, the protrusion restrains the downward movement of the protrusion by riding on the restriction wall. This allows the downward movement of the push-down head to be more appropriately restricted, effectively preventing unintended dispensing of the contents. Furthermore, when the push-down head is rotated from the restricted position to the permissive position to dispense the contents, the protrusion can be moved from the circumferential groove to the vertical groove. This releases the restriction on the downward movement of the push-down head, allowing the push-down head to move downward. Therefore, the push-down operation of the push-down head can be performed, and the contents can be dispensed through the nozzle hole.
In this way, the guide mechanism can be configured with a simple structure using the protrusion and guide groove, and the downward movement of the press-down head can be reliably switched between restricted and permitted.

Furthermore, when the push-down head is positioned in the restricted position, the protrusion can be caused to ride up onto the restricted wall, so the position of the push-down head can be reliably raised higher than when it is in the permitted position. This reliably increases the length of the flow path from inside the piston to the nozzle hole, and increases the volume of the space from inside the piston to the nozzle hole. This further enhances the suck-back effect mentioned above.

( 2 ) An upper regulating portion may be provided between the guide tube and the pressing head to regulate the upward movement of the pressing head and position the pressing head at the regulated position.

In this case, the upward restriction portion can be used to restrict excessive upward lifting of the presser head, allowing it to be properly positioned in the restricted position. This allows the presser head to be operated properly, maintaining stable operating performance.

The dispenser of the present invention prevents unintended discharge of contents due to unexpected external forces, without the need for removable parts such as a cover.

1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the dispenser showing a state in which the press-down head has been moved from the restricting position shown in FIG. 1 to an allowing position. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG. 3. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the pressing head is moved from the permitted position shown in FIG. 4 to a restricted position. FIG. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention.

(First embodiment)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the dispenser 1 of this embodiment includes a pump module 11 having a stem 10, an attachment cap 12 that is attached to the mouth 3 of a container body 2 containing the contents and that combines the pump module 11 with the mouth 3 of the container body 2, and a push-down head 13 that is attached to the stem 10.
Unless otherwise specified, each component of the dispenser 1 is a molded product made of synthetic resin material. The dispenser 1 may further include a cylindrical cover cap that covers the press-down head 13 and the attachment cap 12.

The stem 10 and the mounting cap 12 are arranged coaxially with the container axis O of the container body 2. Hereinafter, the push-down head 13 side along the container axis O will be referred to as the upper side, and the container body 2 side along the container axis O will be referred to as the lower side, and the direction along the container axis O will be referred to as the up-down direction. Furthermore, in a plan view seen from the up-down direction, the direction intersecting the container axis O will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction going around the container axis O will be referred to as the circumferential direction.
Furthermore, among the circumferential directions, the direction going around the container axis O clockwise when viewed from above the dispenser 1 is referred to as a first direction M1, and the direction going around the container axis O counterclockwise is referred to as a second direction M2.

(Container body)
The container body 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, with a mouth 3, a shoulder (not shown), a body (not shown), and a bottom (not shown) connected in this order from above. A male thread 4 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth 3 of the outer container.

(Attachment cap)
The mounting cap 12 comprises a mounting tube 20 that surrounds the mouth 3 of the container body 2 from the radial outside, a ring-shaped cap top wall 21 that protrudes radially inward from the upper end of the mounting tube 20, and a guide tube 22 that extends upward from the cap top wall 21 and surrounds the stem 10 from the radial outside.

The mounting tube 20 has an internal thread 23 formed on its inner peripheral surface, which threadably engages with the external thread 4 formed on the opening 3 of the container body 2. As a result, the mounting cap 12 is attached to the opening 3 of the container body 2 by screwing the external thread 4 and the internal thread 23 together.
However, the method of attaching the attachment cap 12 is not limited to screwing, and it may be attached to the mouth portion 3 of the container body 2 by, for example, undercut fitting.

The guide tube 22 serves to guide the movement (up and down movement and rotational movement around the container axis O) of the push-down head 13, and is formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the mounting tube 20. In the illustrated example, the guide tube 22 extends upward from the cap top wall 21 so that its length is approximately the same as the length of the mounting tube 20 in the up and down direction.
An annular first restricting portion 25 that protrudes radially outward is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the guide cylinder 22 .

(Pump module)
The pump module 11 includes a cylinder 30 , a valve member 40 , a stem 10 , a piston guide 50 , a piston 60 , a support cylinder 70 and a biasing member 80 .

(cylinder)
The cylinder 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a cylinder peripheral wall 31 and is disposed coaxially with the container axis O.
The cylinder peripheral wall 31 is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the mouth 3 of the container body 2, and a predetermined gap is secured between the cylinder peripheral wall 31 and the mouth 3 of the container body 2. The lower end of the cylinder peripheral wall 31 is formed with a tapered portion 32 having a cross section that gradually reduces in diameter as it extends downward.
An annular flange 33 that protrudes radially outward is formed at the upper end of the cylinder peripheral wall 31. The flange 33 is disposed on the upper opening edge of the mouth 3 of the container body 2 via a packing 24, and is sandwiched vertically between the flange 3 and the upper opening edge of the mouth 3 by the attachment cap 12 that is attached to the mouth 3 of the container body 2.

As a result, the entire pump module 11 including the cylinder 30 is attached to the mouth 3 of the container body 2 via the attachment cap 12. The cylinder 30 extends downward beyond the mouth 3 of the container body 2 and is attached to the mouth 3 of the container body 2 via the attachment cap 12 so as to enter the inside of the container body 2.
The cylinder peripheral wall 31 opens upward through the inside of the cap top wall 21. As a result, the stem 10 is inserted into the inside of the cylinder peripheral wall 31 from above.

A flow hole 34 is formed inside the tapered portion 32, allowing the contents to flow through. Furthermore, a connecting tube 35 extending downward is integrally formed with the tapered portion 32. The upper end of a pipe 36, which draws up the contents, is fitted into the inside of the connecting tube 35. This combines the cylinder 30 and the pipe 36 into a single unit. The lower opening of the pipe 36 is located within the bottom of the container body 2.

(Valve member)
The valve member 40 includes a lower valve body 41 and a valve shaft 42, and serves to switch between communication and cut-off between the interior of the container body 2 and the interior of the cylinder 30. The valve member 40 is disposed coaxially with the container axis O, and is disposed within the cylinder 30 so as to be able to move up and down.
The lower valve body 41 is disposed inside the lower end of the cylinder peripheral wall 31, and is capable of coming into contact with and separating from the inner peripheral surface of the tapered portion 32 in accordance with the up and down movement of the valve member 40. Specifically, the lower valve body 41 functions as a check valve that keeps the flow hole 34 closed by contacting the inner peripheral surface of the tapered portion 32 when the pressure inside the cylinder 30 is increased, and that moves away from the inner peripheral surface of the tapered portion 32 to open the flow hole 34 when the pressure inside the cylinder 30 is reduced.

As a result, the lower valve body 41 prevents the contents in the cylinder 30 from flowing back into the container body 2 through the flow hole 34 when the cylinder 30 is pressurized, and allows the contents in the container body 2 to flow into the cylinder 30 through the flow hole 34 when the cylinder 30 is depressurized.
However, the lower valve body 41 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may have a valve structure other than the above-described configuration, for example, a multi-valve body such as a three-point valve, a ball valve, etc. The valve shaft 42 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending upward from the lower valve body 41.

(Stem)
The stem 10 is erected inside the mouth 3 of the container body 2 in an upwardly biased state so as to be movable downward. The stem 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, and is disposed inside the cap top wall 21 and the cylinder peripheral wall 31. Before the push-down head 13 is pressed down, the stem 10 is disposed so that its upper end protrudes above the guide tube 22 of the attachment cap 12 and its lower end is housed within the cylinder 30.
The lower end of the stem 10 is formed as an expanded diameter portion 10a whose diameter expands radially outward, so that the stem 10 is formed in a two-stage cylindrical shape whose outer diameter changes in the vertical direction.

(Piston guide)
The piston guide 50 is disposed below the stem 10 and coaxial with the container axis O. The piston guide 50 includes a guide tube 51 and an annular guide flange 52 that protrudes radially outward from the lower end of the guide tube 51.

The upper end of the guide tube 51 is fitted inside a portion of the stem 10 that is located above the enlarged diameter portion 10a. This allows the piston guide 50 to be integrally assembled to the stem 10 and to move up and down along with the stem 10. The guide tube 51 is assembled to the stem 10 so that its lower end is located below and away from the enlarged diameter portion 10a of the stem 10.

In particular, the guide tube 51 and stem 10 are fitted together while maintaining a constant mating force. This makes it possible to move the stem 10 upward relative to the guide tube 51, for example, when stress exceeding the mating force is applied to the stem 10.

An annular lip portion 53 is formed on the inner peripheral surface at the lower end of the guide tube 51, protruding radially inward and in contact with the valve stem 42 of the valve member 40 so as to be able to slide up and down. This allows the piston guide 50 to move up and down while maintaining an appropriate seal between it and the valve stem 42, and allows the piston guide 50 to move up and down while its posture is stabilized by the valve stem 42. Similarly, the valve member 40 is also able to move up and down while its posture is stabilized relative to the piston guide 50.
In the portion of the guide tube 51 located below the portion that fits inside the stem 10, multiple first through holes 54 that penetrate the guide tube 51 radially are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction.

The guide flange 52 serves to support the piston 60, which will be described later, from below. The guide flange 52 is formed with a plurality of second through-holes 55 that penetrate the guide flange 52 in the up-down direction and are spaced apart in the circumferential direction. This makes it possible to supply the contents of the cylinder 30 into the stem 10 through the second through-holes 55 of the guide flange 52 and the first through-hole 54 of the guide tube 51.
The piston guide 50 configured in this manner functions as an upper valve body in the pump module 11 in cooperation with a piston 60 described later.

(piston)
The piston 60 is linked to the up and down movement of the stem 10 and is fitted inside the cylinder 30 so as to be able to slide up and down. The piston 60 includes an outer sliding cylinder 61, an inner sliding cylinder 62, and a connecting cylinder 63, and is disposed coaxially with the container axis O while being disposed between the expanded diameter portion 10a of the stem 10 and the guide flange 52.

The outer sliding cylinder 61 is tapered, gradually increasing in diameter from the vertical center toward the top and bottom, and has lips located at both vertical ends. The lips are in close sliding contact with the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder peripheral wall 31. This ensures a predetermined seal between the lips and the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder peripheral wall 31.
Before the pressing head 13 is pressed down, the outer sliding cylinder 61 is positioned to block the air hole 64 formed in the cylinder peripheral wall 31 .

The inner sliding cylinder 62 is disposed between the outer sliding cylinder 61 and the guide cylinder 51. The upper end of the inner sliding cylinder 62 enters the inside of the expanded diameter portion 10a of the stem 10 from below and is in close sliding contact with the inner circumferential surface of the expanded diameter portion 10a. The lower end of the inner sliding cylinder 62 is seated on the guide flange 52 so as to be able to move away from above.
This makes it possible for the inner sliding tube 62 to switch between communication and blocking between the part of the cylinder 30 located below the piston 60 (hereinafter referred to as the lower chamber 38) and the first through hole 54 in the piston guide 50.
The connecting cylinder 63 connects the inner peripheral surface of the outer sliding cylinder 61 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner sliding cylinder 62, and extends continuously over the entire circumferential length.

(Support tube)
The support tube 70 functions as a retaining member for the components arranged inside the cylinder 30, such as the piston 60. The support tube 70 is attached to the inside of the upper end of the cylinder peripheral wall 31, and is arranged coaxially with the container axis O.
The support tube 70 comprises a support tube main body 71 fitted inside the cylinder peripheral wall 31, an annular flange portion 72 protruding radially outward from the upper end of the support tube main body 71, and an upper tube 73 protruding further upward from the upper end of the support tube main body 71.

The support tube body 71 is formed to surround the expanded diameter portion 10a of the stem 10 from the outside in the radial direction. As a result, the outer sliding tube 61 of the piston 60 is disposed below the support tube body 71. Therefore, the piston 60 and the piston guide 50 are prevented from coming out upward by the support tube body 71.
The flange portion 72 is disposed on the flange portion 33 of the cylinder 30 and is sandwiched between the flange portion 33 and the cap top wall 21 in the vertical direction.

The upper tube 73 has a smaller diameter than the support tube main body 71 and is positioned above the expanded diameter portion 10a of the stem 10. As a result, the upper tube 73 radially surrounds the portion of the stem 10 located above the expanded diameter portion 10a. As a result, the upper tube 73 prevents the stem 10 from slipping upward out of the cylinder 30.

(Using member)
The biasing member 80 is arranged in a compressed state and biases the stem 10 upward via the piston guide 50 .
The biasing member 80 is disposed within the lower chamber 38 of the cylinder 30 in a state in which it radially surrounds the valve member 40 from the outside, and is disposed coaxially with the container axis O. The biasing member 80 is disposed between the piston guide 50 and a vertical rib protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder peripheral wall 31 in a state in which it is compressed in the vertical direction.
The biasing member 80 in this embodiment is, for example, a metal coil spring, but is not limited to this, and the biasing member 80 may also be a synthetic resin coil spring.

(Pressing head)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the push-down head 13 is disposed above the pump module 11 configured as described above, and is attached to the upper end of the stem 10.
The push-down head 13 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top having a head top wall 90 and a head peripheral wall 91, and is disposed coaxially with the container axis O and is rotatable around the container axis O.

The head peripheral wall 91 is formed in a cylindrical shape that radially surrounds the guide tube 22 of the attachment cap 12 from the outside, and is capable of moving downward around the outside of the guide tube 22 when the press-down head 13 is pressed down. The lower end of the head peripheral wall 91 is located lower than the upper end of the guide tube 22. Furthermore, the inner circumferential surface of the lower end of the head peripheral wall 91 is formed with an annular second restricting portion 92 that protrudes radially inward and can be engaged from below with the first restricting portion 25 formed on the guide tube 22.

The second regulating portion 92 engages with the first regulating portion 25 from below, thereby restricting the upward movement of the pressing head 13 and making it possible to position the pressing head 13 at the regulating position P1 described below.
Therefore, the first regulating portion 25 and the second regulating portion 92 are provided between the guide tube 22 and the head peripheral wall 91, and function as an upper regulating portion 93 that regulates the upward movement of the pressing head 13 and positions the pressing head 13 at the regulating position P1.

A connecting cylinder 94 and an intermediate cylinder 95 are formed inside the head peripheral wall 91 and extend downward from the head peripheral wall 91 coaxially with the container axis O.
The connecting tube 94 is formed in a cylindrical shape that surrounds the upper end of the stem 10 from the outside in the radial direction, and is fitted onto the stem 10. In this way, the press-down head 13 is attached to the upper end of the stem 10.

The intermediate tube 95 is formed in a cylindrical shape that radially surrounds the connecting tube 94 from the outside. Annular gaps are maintained between the intermediate tube 95 and the connecting tube 94, and between the intermediate tube 95 and the head peripheral wall 91. The intermediate tube 95 is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the guide tube 22, and is capable of moving inside the guide tube 22 when the press-down head 13 is pressed down. As a result, the intermediate tube 95 is movably guided by the guide tube 22, as described above.

2, the press-down head 13 includes a nozzle tube portion 96 that extends radially outward from the head peripheral wall 91. The nozzle tube portion 96 is formed to a length that protrudes radially outward beyond the mounting tube 20 of the mounting cap 12, and is formed to extend toward the inside of the head peripheral wall 91 and communicate with the inside of the connecting tube 94.
The length of the nozzle tube portion 96 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a length that does not protrude radially outward beyond the mounting tube 20 of the mounting cap 12 .

A nozzle hole 97 is formed at the tip of the nozzle tube portion 96, which discharges the contents to the outside. Therefore, the nozzle hole 97 is connected to the inside of the stem 10 through the nozzle tube portion 96 and the connecting tube 94. This makes it possible for the contents supplied to the stem 10 to be discharged to the outside through the nozzle hole 97.

The push-down head 13 configured as described above can be switched between a restricted position P1 in which downward movement is restricted and an allowed position P2 in which downward movement is allowed by rotating it around the container axis O.
The restricting position P1 refers to a state in which a first protrusion 101 and a second protrusion 102, which will be described later and are formed on the pressing head 13, are positioned within a first circumferential groove 103b and a second circumferential groove 104b (see FIG. 5), as shown in FIG. 1. The permissible position P2 refers to a state in which the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 are positioned within a first longitudinal groove 103a and a second longitudinal groove 104a (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 3).

In this embodiment, when the push-down head 13 is located at the permissible position P2, the nozzle cylinder portion 96 is generally aligned with the front-rear direction L1, and the nozzle hole 97 opens forward, as shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, by rotating the push-down head 13 in the second direction M2 about the container axis O, the push-down head 13 can be switched from the restricting position P1 to the permissible position P2, and conversely, by rotating the push-down head 13 in the first direction M1, the push-down head 13 can be switched from the permissible position P2 to the restricting position P1.
In this embodiment, when the pressing head 13 is positioned at the regulating position P1, the nozzle tube portion 96 faces in the left-right direction L2 perpendicular to the front-rear direction L1 in a plan view seen from the container axis O direction.

(Guide mechanism)
As shown in Figures 1 to 5, a guide mechanism 100 is provided between the intermediate tube 95 and the guide tube 22 in the press-down head 13 to guide the press-down head 13 so that the press-down head 13 can move circumferentially between a restricted position P1 and an allowable position P2.
The guide mechanism 100 allows the downward movement of the press head 13 when the press head 13 is located at the allowable position P2, and restricts the downward movement of the press head 13 while pulling the press head 13 above the allowable position P2 as the press head 13 rotates and moves from the allowable position P2 toward the restricting position P1.

Specifically, the guide mechanism 100 includes a first protrusion 101 and a second protrusion 102 formed to protrude radially outward from the intermediate cylinder 95 of the press-down head 13, and a first guide groove 103 and a second guide groove 104 formed in the guide cylinder 22 to movably accommodate the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102, respectively.

3, the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 are formed to face each other in the radial direction across the container axis O, and are disposed inside the guide tube 22. In the illustrated example, the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 are formed to be vertically elongated over the entire length of the intermediate tube 95.
However, the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 do not need to be formed vertically over the entire length of the intermediate tube 95, and may be formed, for example, at the lower end of the intermediate tube 95.

The first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 are formed to extend in the circumferential direction with a predetermined circumferential width in a plan view seen from the direction of the container axis O. In the illustrated example, the second protrusion 102 is formed to have a circumferential width longer than the circumferential width of the first protrusion 101.
However, this is not limited to this case, and the circumferential width of the second protrusion 102 may be equal to the circumferential width of the first protrusion 101, or may be smaller than the circumferential width of the first protrusion 101.

As shown in Figure 3, the first guide groove 103 includes a first vertical groove (vertical groove) 103a that allows the first protrusion 101 to move downward when the pressing head 13 is located at the permissible position P2, and a first circumferential groove (circumferential groove) 103b that extends circumferentially and communicates with the first vertical groove 103a, and in which the first protrusion 101 is positioned when the pressing head 13 is located at the regulated position P1.
Similarly, the second guide groove 104 has a second vertical groove (vertical groove) 104a that allows the second protrusion 102 to move downward when the pressing head 13 is positioned at the permissible position P2, and a second circumferential groove (circumferential groove) 104b that extends circumferentially and communicates with the second vertical groove 104a, and in which the second protrusion 102 is positioned when the pressing head 13 is positioned at the regulating position P1.

The first longitudinal groove 103a, the first circumferential groove 103b, the second longitudinal groove 104a, and the second circumferential groove 104b will now be described in detail.
1 to 5, a first vertical groove 103a and a second vertical groove 104a, which open upward, are formed at a distance from each other in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the guide tube 22. The first vertical groove 103a and the second vertical groove 104a are formed to face each other in the radial direction across the container axis O, and are also formed to be aligned in the left-right direction L2 in a plan view seen from the direction of the container axis O.
Furthermore, the first vertical groove 103 a and the second vertical groove 104 a are formed over the entire length of the guide tube 22 .

3, the first vertical groove 103a is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the first protrusion 101 in a plan view seen from the container axis O direction, and is formed so as to have a circumferential width slightly larger than that of the first protrusion 101. Furthermore, the depth (amount of radial recession) of the first vertical groove 103a is larger than the amount of radial protrusion of the first protrusion 101.
The second vertical groove 104a is formed in the same manner as the first vertical groove 103a. That is, the second vertical groove 104a is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the second protrusion 102 in a plan view seen from the container axis O direction, and is formed so as to have a circumferential width slightly larger than that of the second protrusion 102. Furthermore, the depth (radial recession amount) of the second vertical groove 104a is larger than the radial protrusion amount of the second protrusion 102.

Therefore, when the first protrusion 101 is positioned within the first vertical groove 103a and the second protrusion 102 is positioned within the second vertical groove 104a (i.e., when the press head 13 is positioned in the permissible position P2), the press head 13 can be pressed down.

1 to 5, the first circumferential groove 103b is formed on the inner circumferential surface at the upper end of the guide tube 22. The first circumferential groove 103b is formed to communicate with the first longitudinal groove 103a and to extend circumferentially from the first longitudinal groove 103a in the first direction M1. Furthermore, the first circumferential groove 103b opens upward.
The bottom wall surface facing upward among the wall surfaces defining the first circumferential groove 103b functions as a regulating wall 110 that regulates the downward movement of the first protrusion 101 by contacting the first protrusion 101 from below when the pressing head 13 is positioned at the regulating position P1.

As shown in FIG. 4, the height of the restriction wall 110 is formed so that it is positioned higher than the underside of the first protrusion 101 when the first protrusion 101 is positioned within the first vertical groove 103a. This allows the first protrusion 101 to climb up from the first vertical groove 103a onto the restriction wall 110 while being pulled upward (lifted) as the pressing head 13 rotates from the allowable position P2 toward the restriction position P1, as shown in FIG. 5.

Furthermore, a slope (inclined surface) 111 extending downward in the second direction M2 is formed in the portion of the restriction wall 110 that is continuous with the first vertical groove 103a. This allows the first protrusion 101 to smoothly climb up onto the restriction wall 110 while its underside contacts the slope 111 as the press-down head 13 rotates from the allowable position P2 toward the restriction position P1.
The position of the slope 111 is not limited to the portion connected to the first vertical groove 103 a , but may be formed at any position on the restriction wall 110 .

As described above, when the first protrusion 101 is positioned within the first circumferential groove 103b, as shown in Figure 5, the first protrusion 101 rides up onto the restricting wall 110, thereby restricting the downward movement of the first protrusion 101. This makes it possible to restrict the depression operation of the press-down head 13.

3 and 5, the peripheral end wall defining the first circumferential groove 103b faces the second direction M2 and serves as a positioning surface 112 with which the first protrusion 101 comes into contact when the first protrusion 101 moves in the first direction M1. This makes it possible to restrict rotation of the press-down head 13 in the first direction M1 and to properly position the press-down head 13 at the restriction position P1.
3 and 4, the wall surface that defines the first longitudinal groove 103a and faces the first direction M1 serves as a positioning surface 113 that comes into contact with the first protrusion 101 when the first protrusion 101 moves in the second direction M2. This makes it possible to restrict rotation of the press-down head 13 in the second direction M2 and to properly position the press-down head 13 at the permissible position P2.

As shown in Figure 3, the inner surface of the first circumferential groove 103b is designed to press against the outer surface of the first protrusion 101 with an appropriate amount of frictional resistance. This allows a resistance force to be applied to the first protrusion 101 when switching the presser head 13 between the restricted position P1 and the permitted position P2, making it possible to switch the presser head 13 while feeling a sense of operation.

The second guide groove 104 has the same configuration as the first guide groove 103 described above. Therefore, detailed description of the second guide groove 104 will be omitted, and components corresponding to the first guide groove 103 will be given the same reference numerals.

The dispenser 1 configured as described above is designed so that the length of the flow path from inside the piston 60 to the nozzle hole 97 differs when the push-down head 13 is in the restricted position P1 and when it is in the permitted position P2, thereby changing the volume of the space from inside the piston 60 to the nozzle hole 97.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, when the push-down head 13 is located at the restricted position P1, it is pulled upward by climbing onto the restricted wall 110, so that the push-down head 13 is located higher than when it is located at the permitted position P2 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, pulling the push-down head 13 upward also pulls the stem 10 upward. At this time, the upward movement of the piston guide 50 and piston 60 is restricted by the support tube 70. Therefore, stress exceeding the mating force between the stem 10 and the guide tube 51 can be applied to the stem 10, allowing the stem 10 and push-down head 13 to move upward relative to the guide tube 51 by the gap H shown in FIG. 1. This allows the flow path length when the push-down head 13 is located at the restricted position P1 to be longer than the flow path length when the push-down head 13 is located at the permitted position P2. Therefore, the volume of the space when the presser head 13 is in the restricted position P1 can be made larger than the volume of the space when the presser head 13 is in the permitted position P2.

As mentioned above, the stem 10 is pulled upward when the pressing head 13 is switched from the permitted position P2 to the restricted position P1, and therefore moves further upward by the gap H relative to the guide tube 51. Therefore, to ensure that the stem 10 moves upward by the gap H, as shown in Figure 1, an allowable space R is defined between the expanded diameter portion 10a of the stem 10 and the upper tube 73 of the support tube 70, which allows the stem 10 to move upward in the vertical direction.

Furthermore, when the pressing head 13 is positioned at the restriction position P1, the upward movement of the piston guide 50 and piston 60 is restricted by the support tube 70, as described above. This allows the guide flange 52 to be pressed firmly against the piston 60 from below, improving the sealing performance between the piston 60 and the guide flange 52.

(Action of the Discharger)
Next, a case where the content is discharged using the dispenser 1 configured as described above will be described.
1 and 5 , when the presser head 13 is located at the restriction position P1, the downward movement of the presser head 13 is restricted by the guide mechanism 100. That is, the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 ride up on the restriction wall 110, restricting the downward movement of the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102. This restricts the downward movement of the presser head 13. Therefore, even if an unexpected external force acts on the presser head 13, the presser head 13 will not be depressed, preventing unintended discharge of the contents.

Next, the case where the contents are discharged will be described.
In this case, the push-down head 13 is rotated in the second direction M2 around the container axis O, and the push-down head 13 is moved from the restricted position P1 shown in Fig. 1 to the permitted position P2 shown in Fig. 2. As a result, the circumferential movement of the push-down head 13 is guided by the guide mechanism 100, so the push-down head 13 moves smoothly with little rattle to the permitted position P2, and once it reaches the permitted position P2, downward movement is permitted.

Specifically, by rotating the presser head 13 in the second direction M2, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first protrusion 101 can be moved from the first circumferential groove 103b into the first vertical groove 103a, and the second protrusion 102 can be moved from the second circumferential groove 104b into the second vertical groove 104a. This releases the restriction on the downward movement of the presser head 13, allowing the presser head 13 to move downward.

Since the first protrusion 101 can be brought into contact with the positioning surface 113 of the first longitudinal groove 103a and the second protrusion 102 can be brought into contact with the positioning surface 113 of the second longitudinal groove 104a, the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 can be reliably positioned within the first longitudinal groove 103a and the second longitudinal groove 104a, respectively. This allows the press-down head 13 to be appropriately positioned at the allowable position P2.
When the press-down head 13 is positioned at the allowable position P2, the nozzle cylinder portion 96 switches to a position facing forward.

Next, after switching the push-down head 13 to the allowable position P2, the push-down head 13 shown in Figure 2 is pressed down while elastically deforming the biasing member 80. This allows the stem 10 to be pressed down together with the push-down head 13. As a result, the expanded diameter portion 10a of the stem 10 moves downward and approaches the piston 60, and at the same time, the piston guide 50 moves downward together with the stem 10, causing the guide flange 52 to move away from the piston 60. As a result, the seal between the guide flange 52 and the inner sliding cylinder 62 of the piston 60 is released, and the lower chamber 38 in the cylinder 30 and the first through-hole 54 of the piston guide 50 are connected via the second through-hole 55.

Further pushing down of the push-down head 13 brings the enlarged diameter portion 10a of the stem 10 into contact with the piston 60, so that the piston 60 can be moved downward together with the push-down head 13. This allows the lower chamber 38 in the cylinder 30 to be pressurized, and the liquid content in the cylinder 30 can be supplied into the stem 10 through the first through-hole 54 and the second through-hole 55, and can also be supplied from the stem 10 to the nozzle hole 97 through the connecting tube 94 and the nozzle tube portion 96.
As a result, the contents can be discharged to the outside through the nozzle hole 97. When the contents are being discharged, the lower valve body 41 of the valve member 40 comes into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the tapered portion 32, thereby closing the flow hole 34.

After the contents are dispensed, when the depression of the push-down head 13 is released, the biasing member 80 elastically restores its original shape, applying an upward biasing force to the guide flange 52. This applies an upward biasing force to the push-down head 13 via the guide flange 52 and stem 10, causing the push-down head 13 and stem 10 to move upward and return to their original positions.

In addition, during the above process, the guide flange 52 can be brought into contact with the piston 60 from below, creating a seal between the guide flange 52 and the inner sliding cylinder 62 and blocking communication between the lower chamber 38 in the cylinder 30 and the inside of the stem 10. The piston 60 can then be moved upward together with the piston guide 50, reducing the pressure in the lower chamber 38 in the cylinder 30. This causes the lower valve body 41 to move away from the inner surface of the tapered portion 32, opening the flow hole 34. Therefore, the contents in the container body 2 can be sucked up into the cylinder 30 through the pipe 36, preparing for the next discharge.

Then, after returning the pressing head 13 and the stem 10 to their original positions, the pressing head 13 is rotated in the first direction M1 around the container axis O, and the pressing head 13 is moved from the allowable position P2 to the regulated position P1.
Specifically, by rotating the presser head 13 in the first direction M1, as shown in Fig. 5, the first protrusion 101 can be moved from inside the first longitudinal groove 103a into the first circumferential groove 103b using the slope 111, and the second protrusion 102 can be moved from inside the second longitudinal groove 104a into the second circumferential groove 104b using the slope 111. This allows the first protrusion 101 to ride up onto the restricting wall 110 of the first circumferential groove 103b, and the second protrusion 102 to ride up onto the restricting wall 110 of the second circumferential groove 104b. As a result, the downward movement of the presser head 13 can be restricted again.

In addition, since the first protrusion 101 can be brought into contact with the positioning surface 112 of the first circumferential groove 103b, and the second protrusion 102 can be brought into contact with the positioning surface 112 of the second circumferential groove 104b, the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 can be reliably positioned within the first circumferential groove 103b and the second circumferential groove 104b. This allows the pressing head 13 to be properly positioned at the restriction position P1.

As described above, according to the dispenser 1 of this embodiment, the push-down head 13 cannot be depressed unless the push-down head 13 is switched from the restricting position P1 to the allowing position P2, thereby preventing unintended dispensing of the contents due to unexpected external forces, for example, during product distribution or storage. Furthermore, because the stem 10 does not move downward unintentionally, it is possible to prevent, for example, a deterioration in the sealing performance of the dispenser 1 and exposure of the contents to the outside air. Furthermore, since the push-down head 13 can be prevented without using any removable parts such as a cover, the dispenser 1 is easy to use and has excellent operability.
Furthermore, when the push-down head 13 is located at the restriction position P1, the guide flange 52 can be pressed strongly against the piston 60 from below, thereby improving the sealing performance between the piston 60 and the guide flange 52. This allows the sealing performance of the dispenser 1 to be stably maintained.

In particular, when the push-down head 13 is positioned at the restricted position P1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 can ride up onto the restricted wall 110, allowing the push-down head 13 to be raised higher than when it is positioned at the permitted position P2. This allows the stem 10 to be raised upward via the push-down head 13, allowing the stem 10 and push-down head 13 to move upward relative to the guide tube 51 by the gap H shown in FIG. 1. At this time, an allowable space R that allows the stem 10 to move upward is defined between the expanded diameter portion 10a of the stem 10 and the upper tube 73 of the support tube 70, allowing the stem 10 to move upward reliably by the gap H.

In this way, by moving the stem 10 upward, the flow path length from inside the piston 60 to the nozzle hole 97 can be made longer than the flow path length when the push-down head 13 is located at the permitted position P2. This increases the volume of the space from inside the piston 60 to the nozzle hole 97. As a result, any remaining contents inside the nozzle hole 97 can be drawn back into the nozzle hole 97, preventing dripping due to the so-called suck-back effect. This makes it possible to create a dispenser 1 that is easy to use and less likely to soil the surrounding area.

Furthermore, in the dispenser 1 of this embodiment, the guide mechanism 100 can be constructed with a simple structure using the first protrusion 101, the second protrusion 102, the first guide groove 103, and the second guide groove 104, and it is possible to reliably switch between restricting and allowing the downward movement of the pressing head 13.
Furthermore, when the press-down head 13 is positioned at the restricting position P1, the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 can ride up onto the restricting wall 110, so the position of the press-down head 13 can be reliably raised upward compared to when the press-down head 13 is positioned at the permissible position P2. This reliably increases the length of the flow path from the inside of the piston 60 to the nozzle hole 97, thereby increasing the volume of the space from the inside of the piston 60 to the nozzle hole 97. This further enhances the suck-back effect described above.

Furthermore, the upper restriction portion 93 (first restriction portion 25 and second restriction portion 92) can be used to restrict excessive upward lifting of the presser head 13, allowing the presser head 13 to be properly positioned at the restriction position P1. This allows the presser head 13 to be operated properly, maintaining stable operating performance.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted, and only the differences will be described.
In the first embodiment described above, when the pressing head 13 is positioned at the regulating position P1, the stem 10 is pulled upward together with the pressing head 13, thereby moving the stem 10 upward by the gap H relative to the guide tube 51. However, in this embodiment, the pressing head 13 is moved upward relative to the stem 10.

As shown in Figure 6, the dispenser 120 of this embodiment is configured so that when the connecting tube 94 of the push-down head 13 and the upper end of the stem 10 are combined while maintaining a constant mating force, and the push-down head 13 is positioned at the restriction position P1, the push-down head 13 moves upward relative to the stem 10 by a gap H.

In this embodiment, when the pressing head 13 is switched from the permissible position P2 to the restricted position P1, a restricting rib 121 that restricts the upward movement of the stem 10 is formed at the lower end of the upper tube 73 of the support tube 70 to restrict further upward movement of the stem 10 from the permissible position P2. The restricting ribs 121 are formed, for example, at intervals in the circumferential direction, and contact the upper end of the enlarged diameter portion 10a of the stem 10 from above, restricting the upward movement of the stem 10.

The dispenser 120 of this embodiment configured as described above can also achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment.
That is, when the presser head 13 is positioned at the restricting position P1, the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 can ride up on the restricting wall 110, so the position of the presser head 13 can be raised upward compared to when the presser head 13 is positioned at the permissible position P2. Therefore, the presser head 13 can be moved upward by the gap H relative to the stem 10, whose upward movement is restricted by the restricting rib 121.
Therefore, the length of the flow path from inside the piston 60 to the nozzle hole 97 can be increased, and the volume of the space from inside the piston 60 to the nozzle hole 97 can be increased. Therefore, dripping due to the suck-back effect can be avoided.

Even in this embodiment, when the pressing head 13 is positioned in the restricting position P1, the guide flange 52 can be pressed strongly from below against the piston 60, thereby improving the sealing between the piston 60 and the guide flange 52 and maintaining a stable sealing of the dispenser 120.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The embodiments can be implemented in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Examples of embodiments and their variations include those that would be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially identical, and those that are equivalent.

For example, in each of the above embodiments, the configuration includes a first protrusion 101 and a second protrusion 102, but the number of protrusions is not limited to two; for example, it may be one, or three or more.

Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, when the pressing head 13 is positioned at the allowable position P2, for example, a sloped surface extending from above to below in the second direction M2 (extending from the first circumferential groove 103b toward the first longitudinal groove 103a) may be formed on the portion of the first protrusion 101 that faces the first circumferential groove 103b in the circumferential direction. In this case, a sloped surface is also formed on the second protrusion 102.
By doing this, as the pressing head 13 rotates from the allowable position P2 toward the regulating position P1, the inclined surface can be used to smoothly guide the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 onto the regulating wall 110.
When the first protrusion 101 and the second protrusion 102 are formed with inclined surfaces, it is not necessarily required to form the slope 111 in the first circumferential groove 103b and the second circumferential groove 104b.

O: container axis P1: restricting position P2: allowable position 1, 120: dispenser 2: container body 3: mouth of container body 10: stem 12: attachment cap 13: pressing head 22: guide tube 30: cylinder 60: piston 93: upper restricting portion 97: nozzle hole 100: guide mechanism 101: first protrusion (protrusion)
102...Second protrusion (protrusion)
103...First guide groove (guide groove)
103a...first longitudinal groove (longitudinal groove)
103b...first circumferential groove (circumferential groove)
104...Second guide groove (guide groove)
104a...second longitudinal groove (longitudinal groove)
104b...Second circumferential groove (circumferential groove)
110...Regulatory wall

Claims (2)

a cylindrical stem disposed inside a mouth of a container body that accommodates contents and that is movable downward in an upward biased state;
a cylindrical piston linked to the up and down movement of the stem;
a cylindrical cylinder in which the piston is fitted so as to be able to slide up and down;
a push-down head having a nozzle hole for discharging the contents, attached to the upper end of the stem, and rotatable around the container axis of the container body;
a guide tube that guides the movement of the pressing head,
The push-down head is switchable between a restricted position where downward movement is restricted and an allowed position where downward movement is allowed by rotating the push-down head around the container axis,
a guide mechanism is provided between the guide tube and the push-down head to guide the push-down head between the restricting position and the allowing position along a circumferential direction around the container axis;
the guide mechanism allows downward movement of the presser head when the presser head is located at the permissible position, and restricts the downward movement of the presser head while lifting the presser head above the permissible position as the presser head moves from the permissible position toward the restricted position;
When the depression head is depressed, the contents in the cylinder pass through the piston, rise in the stem, and reach the nozzle hole;
a volume of the space from inside the piston to the nozzle hole becomes larger as a result of the push-down head being pulled upward by the guide mechanism than the volume of the space when the push-down head is located at the permissible position,
The guide mechanism includes:
a protrusion formed to protrude radially from the press-down head;
a guide groove formed in the guide tube and configured to movably accommodate the protrusion,
The guide groove is
a vertical groove that allows downward movement of the protrusion when the press-down head is positioned at the permitted position, and a circumferential groove that extends along the circumferential direction, communicates with the vertical groove, and in which the protrusion is disposed when the press-down head is positioned at the restricted position,
a bottom wall surface of the circumferential groove serves as a restricting wall that restricts downward movement of the protrusion by contacting the protrusion from below,
the protrusion is pulled upward and rides from the longitudinal groove onto the restriction wall as the press-down head rotates from the allowable position toward the restriction position;
The dispenser is characterized in that the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential groove presses against the outer circumferential surface of the protrusion, thereby applying resistance to the protrusion . The dispenser of claim 1 ,
The dispenser further comprises an upper restricting portion provided between the guide tube and the push-down head for restricting upward movement of the push-down head and positioning the push-down head at the restricting position.