JP7793261B2 - foam squirt container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a foam-spouting container.

Some conventional foam spray containers have a guide tube (stem guide) on the mounting cap that is surrounded by a cover tube (skirt-shaped cover) on the spray head, and air holes formed in the cover tube to reduce the suction force acting on the gap formed between the guide tube and the cover tube, preventing moisture from being drawn in through the gap when pressure on the spray head is released (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-275777

However, the conventional foam spray containers mentioned above still had room for improvement in preventing moisture from entering through the gap when pressure on the spray head is released.

The object of the present invention is to provide a foam spray container that effectively prevents moisture from entering when pressure on the spray head is released.

The foam-spouting container of the present invention comprises a container body having a mouth and a storage space capable of containing contents, and a sprayer capable of spraying the contents in foam form, wherein the sprayer comprises an attachment cap that can be attached to the mouth of the container body, a stem that can circulate a mixture of the contents and outside air, and a spray head with a spray outlet, wherein the attachment cap has a guide tube that surrounds the stem in an annular shape around its axis, and the spray head has a top wall positioned above the stem and a cover tube that extends downward from the top wall and surrounds the guide tube of the attachment cap in an annular shape around its axis, and when the gap formed between the guide tube and the cover tube is viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis, the cross-sectional area of the gap is 18.1 ^mm2 or more and the maximum gap dimension of the gap is 0.35 mm or more, and the cover tube has an air hole that penetrates the cover tube formed in a position adjacent to the top wall.

In the foam-spouting container of the present invention, the cover tube includes at least three flat surfaces and can be approximately rectangular in shape when viewed in cross section.

In the foam-spouting container of the present invention, it is preferable that each of the three flat surfaces has an air hole that penetrates the cover tube at a position adjacent to the top wall.

This invention provides a foam spray container that effectively prevents moisture from entering when pressure on the spray head is released.

1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a foam-spouting container according to one embodiment of the present invention, the foam-spouting container being shown in an initial state before the spray head is pressed. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the foam spray container of FIG. 1 in a spraying state with the spray head pressed. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a region X1 in FIG. 1 . 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another portion corresponding to region X1 in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing an example of the design specifications of the jet head of FIG. 1 from below. 5B is a bottom view of an example of a resulting jetting head resulting from the design specifications of FIG. 5A. FIG. This is an example of the state in which the cover tube of the ejection head in Figure 5B is placed over the guide tube of the mounting cap, and is a schematic diagram that shows the gap formed between the guide tube and the cover tube in a cross section perpendicular to the axis. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example of moisture intrusion through a gap, the portion corresponding to region X1 in FIG. 1 . 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which moisture is absorbed in a comparative example of the embodiment of the present invention, in a portion corresponding to region X2 in FIG. 2. FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which moisture has entered a portion corresponding to region X3 in FIG. 1 in a comparative example to an example according to the present invention.

Below, we will explain a foam-spouting container according to one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to the drawings.

In the following description, axis O is the center line of the foam-spouting container. In this embodiment, the center line of the foam-spouting container is coaxial with the center line of the container body and the center line of the sprayer.

In the following description, "vertical direction" refers to the direction extending along axis O. In particular, in this embodiment, "upper" includes the mouth side of the container body. Also, in this embodiment, "lower" includes the bottom side of the container body.

Furthermore, in the following description, the direction extending along the axis O will be referred to as the axial direction, and the direction extending around the axis O will be referred to as the circumferential direction. Also, in the following description, the direction perpendicular to the axis O will be referred to as the radial direction.

In Figure 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a foam-spouting container according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, the foam-spouting container 1 is shown in local cross section. Here, the cross section is a plane including the axis O. Furthermore, in Figure 1, the foam-spouting container 1 is shown in its initial state before the spray head 5, which will be described later, is pressed. Also, in Figure 2, the foam-spouting container 1 of Figure 1 is shown in a spraying state in which it sprays the contents. In the spraying state, the spray head 5 is pressed downward.

Referring to Figure 1, the foam spray container 1 comprises a container body 2 having a mouth 21 and a storage space S capable of storing contents, and a sprayer 3 capable of spraying the contents in foam form.

The ejector 3 includes an attachment cap 15 that can be attached to the mouth 21 of the container body 2, a stem 14 that allows the mixture of the contents and outside air to circulate, and an ejection head 5 that has an ejection port A5 formed therein.

The mounting cap 15 has a guide tube 15b that annularly surrounds the stem 14 around the axis O.

The ejection head 5 has a top wall 51 located above the stem 14, and a cover tube 53 extending downward from the top wall 51 and annularly surrounding the guide tube 15b of the mounting cap 15 around the axis O.

When the gap C formed between the guide tube 15b and the cover tube 53 is viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis O (hereinafter also referred to as the "axial cross section"), the cross-sectional area SC of the gap C is 18.1 ^mm2 or more. In addition, the maximum gap dimension DCmax of the gap C is 0.35 mm or more.

An air hole A53 that penetrates the cover tube 53 is formed adjacent to the top wall 51.

More specifically, it is as follows:

In this embodiment, the container body 2 is a so-called bottle container. The container body 2 has a shoulder 22 connected to the mouth 21, and the lower end of the body (not shown) connected to the shoulder 22 is closed by a bottom (not shown). A storage space S capable of containing contents is formed inside the container body 2. The storage space S can be filled with liquid or semi-liquid contents. An opening A2 leading to the storage space S is formed inside the mouth 21. The container body 2 can be formed, for example, by blow molding using a synthetic resin. However, the manufacturing method for the container body 2 is not limited to blow molding, and various manufacturing methods are possible.

In this embodiment, the sprayer 3 includes a pump 4 and the spray head 5. The spray head 5 drives the pump 4 and sprays the contents in foam form.

The pump 4 has a liquid chamber 4a and an air chamber 4b. The pump 4 is operated by repeatedly depressing and releasing the ejection head 5. In this embodiment, the initial state of the pump 4 is as shown in FIG. 1. To drive the pump 4, the ejection head 5 is first depressed, as shown in FIG. 2, to reduce the liquid chamber 4a and the air chamber 4b. Next, the ejection head 5 is released, again expanding (restoring) the liquid chamber 4a and the air chamber 4b, as shown in FIG. 1. As a result, the contents contained in the container body 2 are introduced into the liquid chamber 4a through the suction pipe 16, while outside air is introduced into the air chamber 4b. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, when the ejection head 5 is depressed again, the contents introduced into the liquid chamber 4a and the air introduced into the air chamber 4b are each pressure-fed toward the stem 14. Inside the stem 14, the contents and air are mixed and pass through the foam-generating element 13. As a result, the mixture of the contents and air is sprayed out of the nozzle A5 of the spray head 5 as a foamy mixture.

More specifically, in this embodiment, the pump 4 includes a cylinder 6, a poppet valve 7, a coil spring 8, a hydraulic piston 9, a piston guide 10, a pneumatic piston 11, a ball valve 12, a foam generating element 13 and stem 14, a mounting cap 15, and a suction pipe 16.

Referring to FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the cylinder 6 has a liquid chamber cylinder 6a that forms the liquid chamber 4a, and an air chamber cylinder 6b that forms the air chamber 4b. The cylinder 6 can be placed in the storage space S through an opening A2 formed in the mouth 21 of the container body 2. In this embodiment, the cylinder 6 extends along the axis O. A lower opening A1 is formed at the lower end of the cylinder 6. A suction pipe 16 is connected to the lower opening A1 of the cylinder 6. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cylinder 6 communicates with the storage space S of the container body 2 through the suction pipe 16.

The poppet valve 7 can releasably close the lower opening A1 formed in the cylinder 6. The poppet valve 7 operates in a direction to open the lower opening A1 when the contents are introduced into the interior of the cylinder 6 through the lower opening A1 (see Figure 1), and operates in a direction to close the lower opening A1 when the contents introduced into the interior of the cylinder 6 are discharged through the lower opening A1 (see Figure 2).

The coil spring 8 is disposed inside the hydraulic chamber cylinder 6a. The coil spring 8 elastically supports the hydraulic piston 9 relative to the cylinder 6a.

The hydraulic piston 9 is also disposed inside the liquid chamber cylinder 6a. The hydraulic piston 9 can slide along the inner surface of the liquid chamber cylinder 6a. The hydraulic piston 9, together with the poppet valve 7, forms the liquid chamber 4a inside the liquid chamber cylinder 6a. The hydraulic piston 9 is a cylindrical member. Referring to FIG. 1, an internal passage R1 is formed inside the hydraulic piston 9. The poppet valve 7 can open and close the space between the liquid chamber 4a and the lower opening A1, or between the liquid chamber 4a and the internal passage R1, by sliding the poppet valve 7.

The piston guide 10 is a cylindrical member. An internal passage R2 is formed inside the piston guide 10. The upper end of the hydraulic piston 9 is fixed inside the piston guide 10.

The pneumatic piston 11 is disposed inside the air chamber cylinder 6b. The pneumatic piston 11 can slide along the inner surface of the air chamber cylinder 6b. The pneumatic piston 11, together with the piston guide 10, forms the air chamber 4b inside the air chamber cylinder 6b. The pneumatic piston 11 is a cylindrical member. The piston guide 10 is disposed inside the pneumatic piston 11. The pneumatic piston 11 can slide along the outer surface of the piston guide 10. An internal passage R3 is formed between the pneumatic piston 11 and the piston guide 10. The internal passage R3 can be opened and closed by the sliding movement between the pneumatic piston 11 and the piston guide 10. In addition, the pneumatic piston 11 has an outside air inlet A11.

The ball valve 12 is located inside the upper end of the piston guide 10. The ball valve 12 is a check valve that is opened by the contents pumped through the internal passage R2.

The stem 14 is fixed to the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the upper end of the piston guide 10. An internal passage R4 is formed between the piston guide 10 and the stem 14. The internal passage R4 is connected to the internal passage R2 via the ball valve 12. The stem 14 is a cylindrical member. An internal passage R5 is formed inside the stem 14. The internal passage R5 is connected to the internal passage R4 and to the internal passage R2 via the ball valve 12. In addition, a foam-generating element 13 is disposed inside the stem 14. The foam-generating element 13 generates a foamy mixture from the mixture pumped by the operation of the pump 4. In this embodiment, the foam-generating element 13 is formed by a mesh member 13a and an annular holding member 13b that holds the mesh member 13a. In this embodiment, two foam-generating elements 13 are disposed axially spaced apart. In addition, in this embodiment, the stem 14 has a sealing tube 14a that is slidable relative to the upper end of the pneumatic piston 11. The sealing tube 14a forms a clearance passage R8 between the pneumatic piston 11 and the stem 14, leading to the outside air inlet A11, and also forms an intermediate space Sa. When the stem 14 is pressed down, the sealing tube 14a slides downward relative to the pneumatic piston 11, closing the clearance passage R8 (see FIG. 2). This prevents outside air from being introduced into the air chamber 4b. Conversely, when the stem 14 moves upward, the sealing tube 14a slides upward relative to the pneumatic piston 11, opening the clearance passage R8 (see FIG. 1). This allows outside air from the gap formed between the stem 14 and the guide tube 15b of the mounting cap 15 to be introduced into the air chamber 4b via the intermediate space Sa. However, according to the present invention, instead of the above configuration, an outside air inlet can be formed in the pneumatic piston 11, and a check valve (not shown) that can be opened by negative pressure generated in the air chamber 4b can be provided in the outside air inlet.

The attachment cap 15 is fixed to the upper end of the cylinder 6. The attachment cap 15 covers the upper opening of the cylinder 6. The attachment cap 15 functions as a pump cover for the pump 4. The attachment cap 15 has an attachment portion 15a that is attached to the mouth 21 of the container body 2. In this embodiment, the attachment cap 15 is attached by screwing the attachment portion 15a to the mouth 21 of the container body 2. The guide tube 15b extends in the axial direction and is connected to the attachment portion 15a. A through hole A15 (see Figure 2) extending in the axial direction is formed inside the guide tube 15b. The stem 14 passes through the through hole A15. As a result, as shown in Figure 1, the upper end of the stem 14 protrudes above the attachment cap 15 in the initial state when the ejection head 5 is not being pressed.

The ejection head 5 has a top wall 51 that can be pressed downward, a connecting tube 52 that hangs down from the top wall 51 and can be connected to the stem 14, a cover tube 53 that hangs down from the top wall 51 and surrounds the connecting tube 52, and a nozzle 56 that has an internal passage R7 that leads to the ejection port A5 and is connected to the connecting tube 52.

The cover tube 53 has an air hole A53 formed therethrough. The air hole A53 is formed adjacent to the top wall 51. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cover tube 53 has a thin-walled portion 53a extending downward from the air hole A53.

In this embodiment, the top wall 51 is a plate-shaped top wall. In this embodiment, the top wall 51 has a circular shape when viewed from the axial direction. However, the shape of the top wall 51 is not limited to a circular shape, as long as the user can press down on the jet head 5.

The connecting tube 52 extends downward from the top wall 51. An internal passage R6 is formed inside the connecting tube 52. The upper end of the stem 14 is fixed inside the connecting tube 52 (internal passage R6). As a result, the internal passage R6 communicates with the internal passage R5 via the foam-generating element 13. In addition, an internal passage R7 communicating with the internal passage R6 is formed in the spray head 5. The internal passage R7 communicates with the outside world through the spray outlet A5. In this embodiment, the internal passage R7 is formed inside the nozzle 56. The nozzle 56 protrudes outward in the axial direction beyond the cover tube 53.

The cover tube 53 also extends downward from the top wall 51. As described above, the air hole A53 is formed in the cover tube 53 at a position adjacent to the top wall 51. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the air hole A53 is formed by the lower surface of the top wall 51.

In addition, in this embodiment, the thin-walled portion 53a of the cover tube 53 extends downward from the lower end of the air hole A53. In this embodiment, the thin-walled portion 53a extends from the air hole A53 to the lower end 53e of the cover tube 53. In this case, the cover tube 53 can be deformed along the entire axial direction. However, according to the present invention, the thin-walled portion 53a can also terminate just before the lower end 53e of the cover tube 53.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of area X1 in Figure 1.

The thin-walled portion 53a can be formed by a recess formed in the cover tube 53. In this embodiment, the thin-walled portion 53a is formed by a recess 53b formed in the outer surface of the cover tube 53, for example, as shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the radial thickness t53 of the thin-walled portion 53a is thinner than the radial depth d53 of the recess 53b. In this case, the thin-walled portion 53a can be more easily deformed. However, the radial thickness t53 of the thin-walled portion 53a can be equal to or thicker than the radial depth d53 of the recess 53b.

The circumferential width of the thin-walled portion 53a can also be changed as appropriate. In this embodiment, the circumferential width of the thin-walled portion 53a is equal to the circumferential width of the air hole A53. However, according to the present invention, the circumferential width of the thin-walled portion 53a can also be smaller than the circumferential width of the air hole A53, or larger than the circumferential width of the air hole A53.

Referring to Figure 3, in the initial state before the ejection head 5 is pressed down, the lower end 53e of the cover tube 53 surrounds the guide tube 15b of the attachment cap 15. In this embodiment, a gap C is formed between the outer peripheral surface f15b of the guide tube 15b and the inner peripheral surface f53 of the cover tube 53.

In this embodiment, the cover tube 53 provided on the spray head 5 covers the guide tube 15b provided on the mounting cap 15, thereby preventing liquid such as moisture (e.g., condensation or shower water) outside the sprayer 3 from being sucked in through the gap C, even when negative pressure is generated inside the sprayer 3. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 etc., an air hole A53 is formed in the cover tube 53, thereby preventing liquid outside the sprayer 3 from being sucked in through the gap C.

However, as mentioned above, even when the air hole A53 is formed in the cover tube 53, there is still room for improvement in preventing moisture from entering through the gap C that can occur when pressure on the ejection head 5 is released.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional area SC of the gap C in a cross section perpendicular to the axis O (cross section perpendicular to the axis) and the maximum gap dimension DCmax of the gap C are defined as follows:

In this embodiment, if the area (cross-sectional area) of gap C in a cross section perpendicular to the axis is defined as SC, then this cross-sectional area SC is 18.1 ^mm2 or greater. Furthermore, if the maximum value of the gap dimension DC in a cross section perpendicular to the axis (hereinafter also referred to as the "maximum gap dimension") of gap C is defined as DCmax, then the maximum gap dimension DCmax is 0.35 mm or greater. When the cross-sectional area SC and maximum gap dimension DCmax of gap C are specified as described above, the intrusion of moisture through gap C, which may occur when pressure on the spray head is released, is more effectively suppressed than when air holes A53 are simply formed in the cover tube 53 of the spray head 5. Therefore, foam spraying container 1 can provide a foam spraying container that effectively suppresses the intrusion of moisture, which may occur when pressure on the spray head is released.

Furthermore, the cover tube 53 of the ejection head 5 has an air hole A53. In this case, when the ejection head 5 is molded and then removed from the mold after molding, the mold protrusion portion used to mold the air hole A53 provided on the mold must be forcibly removed in the axial direction along the cover tube 53.

In contrast, in this embodiment, the cover tube 53 has a thin-walled portion 53a that extends downward from the air hole A53. In this case, when the spray head 5 is being molded, the mold protrusion can be moved along the recess 53b. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the spray head 5, i.e., the foam spray container 1, can be easily manufactured. In particular, in this embodiment, the thin-walled portion 53a extends downward from the air hole A53 to the lower end of the cover tube 53. In this case, the thin-walled portion 53a is more easily deformed, making it easier to mold the spray head 5.

In this embodiment, the gap dimension DC of the gap C is a radial dimension centered on the axis O. Figure 3 shows a cross section at a position where the gap dimension DC of the gap C is the maximum gap dimension DCmax. Figure 4 is an enlarged cross section of a portion corresponding to region X1 in Figure 1. Figure 4 shows a cross section at a position where the minimum value of the gap dimension DC in a cross section perpendicular to the axis (hereinafter also referred to as the "minimum gap dimension") is the minimum gap dimension DCmin.

Here, Figure 5A shows an example of a design specification ejection head 5A from below. Here, "design specification ejection head 5A" refers to the ejection head at the design stage as intended by the designer, i.e., the ejection head that should be obtained when manufacturing the ejection head 5 in accordance with the designer's design intentions.

Referring to Figure 5A, in the ejection head 5A, the inner peripheral surface of the cover tube 53, when viewed from the axial direction (when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis), is a curved surface 53d with a radius r1 centered on the axis O.

In contrast, when viewed from the axial direction (when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis), the outer peripheral surface of the cover tube 53 has a recess 53b formed in part of a curved surface 53c of radius r2 centered on the axis O. In other words, in this embodiment, the thin-walled portion 53a of the cover tube 53 is formed by the recess 53b.

On the other hand, Figure 5B shows the resulting product (the shape of the molded product) of the ejection head 5 from below. The ejection head 5 is an ejection head that can actually be obtained by adjusting the thickness and molding conditions, for example, when injection molding using a mold formed in the shape of the ejection head 5A.

As shown in Figure 5B, the resulting jet head 5 has a cover tube 53 that includes at least three flat surfaces when viewed axially (when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis), giving it a generally rectangular shape. Here, "flat surface" refers to the curved portion of the cover tube 53 (the portion formed by curved surfaces 53c, 53d) that has been deformed into a flat shape due to shrinkage or other reasons after molding. Therefore, the flat surface includes not only a completely flat surface formed by a completely flat plane, but also a so-called generally flat surface formed by a generally flat surface.

In the ejection head 5 of Figure 5B, the cover tube 53 includes three flat sections formed by the thin-walled sections 53a that are deformed into a plane after molding, as described above.

Specifically, the outer peripheral surface of the cover tube 53 includes three flat surfaces 53f1. If the side toward which the nozzle 56 is pointed is defined as the front side and the opposite side across the axis O is defined as the rear side, one of the three flat surfaces 53f1 on the outer peripheral surface of the cover tube 53 is located on the rear side, and the remaining two flat surfaces 53f1 are located on both the left and right sides in the front-to-rear direction. In more detail, the outer peripheral surface of the cover tube 53 has a roughly rectangular outline formed by one side formed by the curved surface 53c located on the front side, three sides formed by the flat surfaces 53f1 located on the rear side and the left and right sides, and corners formed by the curved surfaces 53c connecting the three sides.

The inner peripheral surface of the cover tube 53 also includes three flat surfaces 53f2. One of the three flat surfaces 53f2 is located on the rear side, and the remaining two flat surfaces 53f2 are located on both the left and right sides in the front-to-rear direction. Specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the cover tube 53 has a roughly rectangular outline formed by one side formed by the curved surface 53d facing the curved surface 53c located on the front side, three sides formed by the flat surfaces 53f2 facing the flat surfaces 53f1 located on the rear side and the left and right sides, and corners connecting the three sides and formed by the curved surfaces 53d facing the curved surfaces 53c.

As described above, the thin-walled portion 53a is a flat portion formed by flat surfaces 53f1 and 53f2. In other words, in this embodiment, the resulting cover tube 53 of the jet head 5 includes at least three flat surfaces and is substantially rectangular when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the state in which the cover tube 53 of the ejection head 5 in Figure 5B is placed over the guide tube 15b of the mounting cap 15, and is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the axis showing the gap C formed between the guide tube 15b and the cover tube 53.

When the thin-walled portion 35a is formed by forming three recesses 53b in the cover tube 53 as shown in Figure 5A, by adjusting the molding conditions of the jet head, the inner surface of the cover tube 53 after molding can be made to have a substantially rectangular shape when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis, as shown in Figure 5B. In other words, when a jet head 5A according to the design specifications as shown in Figure 5A is molded by injection molding, and the resulting jet head 5 as shown in Figure 5B is used, if the cover tube 53 of the jet head 5 is placed over the guide tube 15b of the attachment cap 15, the gap dimension of gap C will vary circumferentially, as shown in Figure 6.

Referring to Figure 6, in this embodiment, the maximum gap dimension DCmax of gap C is the maximum value of the gap formed between the flat surface 53f2 that forms the rear side of the inner surface of the cover tube 53 and the outer surface f15b of the guide tube 15b. Also, in this embodiment, the minimum gap dimension DCmin of gap C is the minimum value of the gap formed between the curved surface 53d that forms the corner side of the inner surface of the cover tube 53 and the outer surface f15b of the guide tube 15b.

When the cover tube 53 is approximately rectangular when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis, as in the spray head 5 of Figure 5B, the positions of the maximum gap dimension DCmax and minimum gap dimension DCmin of the gap C can be easily identified, as shown in Figure 6. When the cover tube 53 is approximately rectangular, as in the spray head 5 of Figure 5B, the gap C between the inner surface of the cover tube and the outer surface of the guide tube is not uniform in the circumferential direction, making it possible to easily and effectively prevent moisture from entering through the gap C.

Furthermore, in the jet head 5 of Figure 5B, air holes A53 are formed in each of the three flat surfaces (thin portions 53a). Referring to Figure 4, air holes A53 penetrate the thin portions 53a and open to the flat surfaces 53f1 and 53f2.

When air holes A53 are formed in each of the three flat surfaces (thin-walled portions 53a) adjacent to the top wall 51, as in the spray head 5 of Figure 5B, it is possible to more effectively prevent moisture from entering through the gap C. Furthermore, if air holes A53 are formed in each of the three thin-walled portions 53a adjacent to the top wall 51 at the design specification stage of Figure 5A, the resulting spray head tends to have a substantially rectangular shape when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis, as shown in Figure 5B. Therefore, when air holes A53 are formed in each of the three flat surfaces (thin-walled portions 53a) adjacent to the top wall 51, it is effective in easily and effectively preventing moisture from entering through the gap C.

Table 1 below shows the results of a shower test evaluation conducted using an example of a foam-spouting container according to the present invention and a comparative example for comparison with the foam-spouting container according to the present invention.

In the above shower test evaluation test, a 40°C hot water shower was applied to the foam-spouting container at a rate of 10 liters per minute at a 45-degree angle to the foam-spouting container (axis O of the foam-spouting container: vertical axis) from a position 1 meter away from the container, for 1 minute, while the spray head was pumped 60 times.

In Example 1, the foam spray container 1 of Figure 1 uses a spray head with a substantially rectangular cover tube 53, similar to the spray head 5 of Figure 5B. In Example 1, the cross-sectional area SC of the gap C is 32.3 ^mm2 , and the maximum gap dimension DCmax is 0.6 mm. In Example 1, no moisture was observed to penetrate into the foam spray container. In Example 1, the minimum gap dimension DCmin is 0.15 mm.

In Example 2, the foam spray container 1 of Figure 1 uses a spray head with a substantially rectangular cover tube 53, similar to the spray head 5 of Figure 5B. In Example 2, the cross-sectional area SC of the gap C is 18.1 ^mm2 , and the maximum gap dimension DCmax is 0.4 mm. In Example 2, no moisture was observed to penetrate the foam spray container. In Example 2, the minimum gap dimension DCmin is 0 mm.

Examples 3-4 each use a foam-spouting container 1 in Figure 1 with a substantially circular cover tube 53 similar to the foam-spouting head 5A in Figure 5A. In Example 3, the cross-sectional area SC of the gap C was 28.7 ^mm2 , and the gap dimension DC was 0.35 mm. In Example 4, the cross-sectional area SC of the gap C was 32.3 ^mm2 , and the gap dimension DC was 0.4 mm. In Examples 3-4, the combination of air hole A53 and recess 53b was provided at only one position on the rear side of the cover tube 53. In none of Examples 3-4 was moisture infiltration into the foam-spouting container observed.

Comparative example 1-4 uses the foam spray container 1 of Figure 1, but with a spray head with a nearly circular cover tube 53 similar to the spray head 5 of Figure 5A. Comparative example 1 does not have an air hole A53 or recess 53b. Comparative example 2-4 has a combination of air hole A53 and recess 53b located in only one position on the rear side of the cover tube 53, and furthermore, at least one of the cross-sectional area SC of the gap C and the maximum gap dimension DCmax is set below the value specified in the present invention.

In Comparative Example 1-4, as shown in Figure 7, moisture L accumulated in the mounting portion 15a of the mounting cap 15 was sucked into the foam spray container through the gap C when the spray head was operated. When Comparative Example 1-4 was subjected to an X-ray inspection, the following results were obtained.

In Comparative Example 1, as shown in Figure 8, moisture L that entered the foam-spouting container accumulated on the top surface of the pneumatic piston 11. In Comparative Example 2, as shown in Figure 9, moisture L that entered the foam-spouting container accumulated in the air chamber 4b of the air chamber cylinder 6b. In Comparative Example 3, moisture L that entered the foam-spouting container further accumulated in the air chamber 4b of the air chamber cylinder 6b. In Comparative Example 4, moisture L accumulated not only on the top surface of the pneumatic piston 11 in Figure 8, but also in the air chamber 4b of the air chamber cylinder 6b in Figure 9.

The above describes a foam spray container according to one embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims. For example, the thin-walled portion 53a can be omitted. In this case, the cover tube 53 has an equal thickness circumferentially around the axis O. Furthermore, various types of pumps can be used as the pump 4, as long as they are configured to mix the contents of the container body with air and spray it in foam form. Furthermore, it is preferable that the foam spray container be used in wet areas such as kitchens, sinks, and bathrooms. Examples of contents include liquid soap, detergent, and cosmetics.

1: Foam spray container, 2: Container body, 21: Mouth portion, 3: Sprayer, 4: Pump, 4a: Liquid chamber, 4b: Air chamber, 5: Spray head, 51: Top wall, 52: Connecting tube, 53: Cover tube, 53a: Thin-walled portion (flat portion), 53b: Recessed portion, 53c: Curved surface on the outer periphery of the cover tube 53, 53d: Curved surface on the inner periphery of the cover tube 53, 53e: Lower end of the cover tube, 53f1: Flat surface on the outer periphery of the cover tube 53, 53f2: Flat surface on the inner periphery of the cover tube 53, A53: Air hole, 54: Intermediate tube, 55: Outer tube, 56: Nozzle, 6: Cylinder, 6a: Liquid chamber cylinder, 6b: Air chamber cylinder, 7: Poppet valve, 8: Coil spring, 9: Hydraulic piston, 10: Piston guide, 11: Pneumatic piston, 12: Ball valve, 13: Foam generating element, 14: Stem, 14a: Sealing tube, 15: Mounting cap, 15a: Mounting portion, 15b: Guide tube, A1: Lower end opening formed at the lower end of the cylinder 6, A2: Opening formed at the mouth of the container body, A5: Spout, A11: Air inlet, A15: Through hole, C: Gap, O: Axis, R1: Internal passage of hydraulic piston, R2: Internal passage of piston guide, R3: Internal passage between pneumatic piston and piston guide, R4: Internal passage between piston guide and stem, R5: Internal passage of stem, R6: Internal passage of connecting tube, R7: Internal passage of nozzle, R8: Gap passage, Sa: Relay space

Claims (2)

A foam spraying container comprising: a container body having a mouth portion and a storage space capable of storing contents; and a sprayer capable of spraying the contents in foam form;
The ejector includes an attachment cap that can be attached to the mouth of the container body, a stem that can circulate a mixture of the content and outside air, and an ejection head that has an ejection port formed therein;
The mounting cap has a guide tube that annularly surrounds the stem around its axis,
the ejection head has a top wall disposed above the stem, and a cover tube extending downward from the top wall and annularly surrounding the guide tube of the mounting cap around an axis;
When the gap formed between the guide tube and the cover tube is viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis,
The cross-sectional area of the gap is 18.1 mm or more,
The maximum gap dimension of the gap is 0.35 mm or more,
The cover tube has an air hole formed therethrough at a position adjacent to the top wall ,
The cover tube includes at least three flat surfaces and has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed in cross section . The foam-spouting container according to claim 1 , wherein the air holes are formed in the three flat surfaces, respectively.