JP7796591B2 - Trigger-type liquid sprayer - Google Patents

Description

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

Conventionally, a trigger-type liquid sprayer has been proposed that includes a sprayer body attached to a container containing liquid, and a nozzle portion disposed on the front side of the sprayer body and formed with a spray hole for spraying the liquid; the sprayer body extends vertically and includes a vertical supply tube portion that sucks up the liquid from within the container; a trigger portion disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion so that it can move rearward while being biased forward; a piston that moves back and forth in conjunction with the oscillation of the trigger portion; and a trigger mechanism that pressurizes and depressurizes as the piston moves, has an interior that is connected to the vertical supply tube portion, and causes the liquid to flow from within the vertical supply tube portion toward the spray hole when the trigger portion moves rearward.

One such trigger-type liquid ejector has been proposed, which is equipped with a stopper that restricts the rearward movement of the trigger (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This stopper is supported rotatably around a rotation axis relative to the trigger, and has a restricting portion that protrudes rearward from the trigger and abuts or comes close to the cylinder, and an operating portion that protrudes forward from the trigger. By moving the operating portion upward and rotating the stopper around the rotation axis, the restricting portion is moved downward, and the restriction imposed by the restricting portion is released.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-103162

However, with the stopper described above, if an external force is unintentionally applied to the operating part during transportation or display, the restriction provided by the stopper may be released and the trigger part may be pulled backward. Here, while it is desirable for the stopper to provide strong restriction against unintentional external forces, it is also desirable for the user to be able to easily release the restriction intentionally.

The present invention aims to provide a trigger-type liquid ejector that has a stopper that provides strong resistance to unintentional external forces, yet allows for easy intentional release of that resistance.

The present invention employs the following means to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, the trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention comprises a ejector body attached to a container body containing liquid, and a nozzle portion disposed on the front side of the ejector body and having an ejection hole formed therein for ejecting liquid, the ejector body extending in the vertical direction and comprising a vertical supply tube portion that sucks up liquid from the container body, a trigger portion disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion so as to be movable rearward while being biased forward, a piston that moves in the front-rear direction in conjunction with the swinging of the trigger portion, and a trigger mechanism having a cylinder whose interior is pressurized and depressurized as the piston moves and whose interior is connected to the vertical supply tube portion, and which causes liquid to flow from inside the vertical supply tube portion towards the ejection hole as the trigger portion moves rearward, and the trigger portion has a nozzle that abuts against or is close to the ejector body and that pushes the liquid rearward of the trigger portion A stopper is attached which is rotatably supported around a rotation axis extending in a direction intersecting the fore-and-aft direction relative to the trigger portion, between a restriction position where movement is restricted and a restriction release position where the restriction is released and rearward movement of the trigger portion is permitted, and the stopper comprises: a stopper body which is rotatably provided on the trigger portion around the rotation axis and which abuts or is close to the ejector body at the restriction position to restrict rearward movement of the trigger portion; and an operating body which has a restriction locking portion which engages with an engaging portion of the ejector body at the restriction position and restricts movement of the stopper to the restriction release position, and the operating body is elastically displaceable on the stopper body so that the restriction locking portion moves away from the engaging portion when pushed inward in the left-right direction .

In this invention, when the operating body is elastically displaced relative to the stopper body, the restrictive locking portion moves away from the locked portion of the ejector body, and the locking state with the ejector body is released or weakened. Therefore, even if the locking state between the restrictive locking portion and the ejector body is strong in the restrictive position, the stopper can easily move from the restrictive position to the unrestricted position when the above restriction is intentionally released.

In addition, in the trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention, the operating body may include an operating portion provided with the regulating locking portion, and an elastically deformable connecting portion that connects the operating portion and the stopper main body.
In this invention, by moving the operating portion toward the stopper body, the connecting portion is elastically displaced, and the restricting locking portion provided on the operating portion moves away from the locked portion of the ejector body.

In addition, in the trigger-type liquid sprayer of the present invention, the connecting portion may have a body-side protrusion that protrudes from the stopper body toward the operating portion, an operating-side protrusion that protrudes from the operating portion toward the stopper body and is positioned forward of the body-side protrusion, and a strip-shaped portion that connects the body-side protrusion and the operating-side protrusion, and moves closer to the operating portion while moving away from the stopper body as it moves forward.
In this invention, when the operating portion is pushed toward the stopper body, the connecting portion elastically deforms starting from the connection portion between the operating side protrusion and the band-shaped portion and the connection portion between the body side protrusion and the band-shaped portion, and the regulating locking portion provided on the operating portion moves away from the locked portion of the ejector body.

In the trigger-type liquid ejector of the present invention, the locked portion may be provided on the inner surface of the cylinder, and the restricting locking portion may be inserted into the cylinder.
In this invention, even if the stopper attempts to move from the restricted position toward the unrestricted position around the rotation axis, the restricting engagement portion engages with the inner surface of the cylinder, thereby restricting the stopper from unintentionally moving toward the unrestricted position.

With the trigger-type liquid sprayer of this invention, when the operating body is elastically displaced relative to the stopper body, the restricting and locking portion moves away from the locked portion of the sprayer body, and the locking state with the sprayer body is released or weakened. This simplifies the operability for moving the stopper to the intended release position while firmly restricting unintended movement of the stopper to the release position.

1 is an axial cross-sectional view showing a trigger-type liquid ejector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the trigger portion of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the stopper of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the stopper of FIG. 1 . 2 is a bottom view showing how to use the stopper of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a stopper of a trigger-type liquid ejector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing the stopper of FIG. 6 . FIG. 7 is a bottom view showing the stopper of FIG. 6 in a molded state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of a trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in Figure 1, the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of this embodiment comprises an ejector main body 2 that can be attached to a container body A that contains liquid, a nozzle member (nozzle portion) 3 that is attached to the ejector main body 2 and has an ejection hole 3A for ejecting the liquid, and a cover body 4 that covers the ejector main body 2 and the nozzle member 3.

The ejector body 2 comprises a vertical supply tube portion 11, a connecting tube portion 12, a cylinder tube portion 13, an attachment cap 14, a storage cylinder 15, a storage plunger 16, a biasing member 17, an injection tube portion 18, a trigger mechanism 19, a ball valve 20, and a storage valve 21.
Here, the central axis of the vertical supply tube portion 11 is designated as axis O1, the side of the container body A along this axis O1 is designated as the lower side, the opposite side is designated as the upper side, the direction along axis O1 is designated as the up-down direction, the direction intersecting axis O1 when viewed from the up-down direction is designated as the front-rear direction, and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction is designated as the left-right direction. Also, the central axis of the storage cylinder 15 is designated as axis O2, which extends in the front-rear direction, and the side of the nozzle member 3 along axis O2 is designated as the front side.

The vertical supply tube portion 11 extends in the vertical direction, and a pipe 31 that extends in the vertical direction and sucks up liquid from the container body A is fitted inside the vertical supply tube portion 11.
The connecting tube 12 is provided at the upper end of the vertical supply tube 11 and extends forward from the vertical supply tube 11. The interior of the connecting tube 12 is in communication with the interior of the vertical supply tube 11. A blocking plug 32 is attached to the front end opening of the connecting tube 12 to block this front end opening.
The cylinder portion 13 is provided below the connecting portion 12 of the vertical supply portion 11 and extends forward from the vertical supply portion 11. The interior of the cylinder portion 13 is in communication with the interior of the vertical supply portion 11.
The mounting cap 14 is screwed onto the opening of the container body A.

The storage cylinder 15 is positioned above the vertical supply tube section 11 and the connecting tube section 12. Liquid that has passed through the vertical supply tube section 11 and the connecting tube section 12 is supplied to the interior of the storage cylinder 15 by the rearward swing of the trigger section 41 (described below). A supply hole 15A that communicates with the interior of the connecting tube section 12 is formed in the lower part of the front end of the storage cylinder 15.

The storage plunger 16 is disposed inside the storage cylinder 15 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction along the axis O2. This allows the storage plunger 16 to slide liquid-tightly in the front-rear direction inside the storage cylinder 15. The storage plunger 16 moves rearward as liquid is supplied into the storage cylinder 15. The storage plunger 16 blocks communication between the vertical supply cylinder portion 11 and the ejection holes 3A through the connecting cylinder portion 12, and when moved rearward, allows communication between the vertical supply cylinder portion 11 and the ejection holes 3A through the connecting cylinder portion 12. Therefore, when the storage plunger 16 is at its forward-most position, it blocks communication between the interior of the vertical supply cylinder portion 11 and the ejection holes 3A through the connecting cylinder portion 12, and when moved rearward from the forward-most position, it allows communication between the inside of the vertical supply cylinder portion 11 and the ejection holes 3A through the connecting cylinder portion 12. The space in the storage cylinder 15 located forward of the storage plunger 16 functions as a storage space 16A.
The storage space 16A stores the liquid that has passed through the interior of the vertical supply tube portion 11 and the interior of the connecting tube portion 12 and then through the supply hole 15A. The storage space 16A can communicate with the interior of the injection tube portion 18, which will be described later.

The biasing member 17 biases the storage plunger 16 forward. This allows the storage cylinder 15 and the storage plunger 16 to pressurize the liquid in the storage space 16A until the storage plunger 16 moves rearward. Thereafter, when the liquid pressure in the storage space 16A reaches a predetermined value, the storage plunger 16 moves rearward against the forward biasing force of the biasing member 17. As a result, the liquid stored in the storage space 16A is supplied to the ejection hole 3A side. In this way, the storage plunger 16 functions as a pressure accumulator valve.
The injection tube portion 18 extends forward from the storage cylinder 15 and communicates with the interior of the vertical supply tube portion 11 through the storage space 16A and the interior of the connecting tube portion 12.

The trigger mechanism 19 includes a trigger portion 41, a main cylinder (cylinder) 42, a main piston (piston) 43, and a biasing spring 44. The trigger mechanism 19 causes the liquid to flow from the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 11 through the inside of the connecting tube portion 12 toward the ejection hole 3A by the rearward swing of the trigger portion 41.
The upper end of the trigger portion 41 is disposed in the space defined by the nozzle member 3, the cover body 4, and the blocking plug 32, and is disposed in front of the vertical supply tube portion 11 so as to be movable rearward in a forward biased state. The trigger portion 41 extends in the vertical direction, and the upper end of the trigger portion 41 is journaled to the nozzle member 3, while the lower end of the trigger portion 41 is disposed in front of the main cylinder 42.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the trigger portion 41 comprises a trigger front wall portion 51, a pair of trigger side wall portions 52 extending rearward from both left and right edges of the trigger front wall portion 51, a push-in wall portion 53 extending rearward from the trigger front wall portion 51, an upper storage wall portion 54 and a lower storage wall portion 55 extending rearward from the trigger front wall portion 51, and a lower trigger wall portion 56 extending rearward from the lower edge of the trigger front wall portion 51.
The trigger front wall 51 has an upper portion 51A that extends roughly in the vertical direction, a connecting portion 51B that is connected to the lower edge of the upper portion 51A and slopes backward as it extends from top to bottom, and a lower portion 51C that is connected to the lower edge of the connecting portion 51B and curves forward as it extends from top to bottom.
The upper portion 51A is in proximity to or in contact with the restricting wall portion 3B of the nozzle member 3. This restricts further forward rotation of the trigger portion 41.
A finger is placed on the lower portion 51C when operating the trigger portion 41.

The upper end of the trigger side wall 52 is journaled to the nozzle member 3, allowing the trigger 41 to swing back and forth. A stopper 60, described below, is journaled in the vertically middle portion of the trigger side wall 52. The portion of the trigger side wall 52 between the upper storage wall 54 and the lower storage wall 55 defines a storage recess 41A capable of accommodating the stopper 60, together with the upper storage wall 54 and the lower storage wall 55. The trigger side wall 52 is also formed with an introduction groove 52A for guiding the stopper shaft 81A, described below, of the stopper 60 from the rear into the storage recess 41A, and a shaft support recess 52B connected to the front of the introduction groove 52A.

The pushing wall 53 extends rearward from the lower portion 51C of the trigger front wall 51 and is close to or in contact with the front end of the main piston 43. The rear end surface of the pushing wall 53 is recessed forward from the outer side in the left-right direction toward the center in the left-right direction, and is positioned so as to sandwich the front end of the main cylinder 42 in the left-right direction. As a result, the main piston 43 moves in the front-back direction as the trigger 41 swings in the front-back direction.
The storage upper wall portion 54 extends rearward from the lower portion 51C of the trigger front wall portion 51 below the push-in wall portion 53, and the storage lower wall portion 55 extends rearward from the lower portion 51C of the trigger front wall portion 51 below the storage upper wall portion 54.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the stopper 60 comprises a plate-shaped stopper body 61 whose front end is journaled on the trigger portion 41, and a pair of operating bodies 62 arranged on the left-right outside of the stopper body 61 and connected to the stopper body 61 so as to be elastically displaceable.
The stopper main body 61 has a plate-shaped base 81 extending in the front-to-rear direction and having its front end journaled on the trigger portion 41, a stopper rear wall portion 82 protruding upward from the rear end of the plate-shaped base 81, and a stopper side wall portion 83 protruding upward from the left-to-right edges of the plate-shaped base 81.

The plate-shaped base 81 extends so as to slope slightly downward as it extends forward. Stopper shafts 81A protruding outward in the left-right direction are provided on both side surfaces of the front end of the plate-shaped base 81. The stopper shafts 81A are housed in the shaft support recesses 52B. This allows the stopper 60 to rotate around the rotation axis between a restricted position in which it is close to or abutting the inner circumferential surface (engaged portion, inner surface) 42A of the main cylinder 42, and a released position in which it is separated from the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 and allows the stopper 60 to rotate. When in the released position, the plate-shaped base 81 extends along the trigger front wall 51 of the trigger portion 41, and the stopper main body 61 is housed within the storage recess 41A.

A locking projection 82A that projects rearward is formed at the lower end of the stopper rear wall 82. The locking projection 82A has an arc shape that follows the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 when viewed from the rear, and locks onto the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 from above. The locking projection 82A locks onto the upper surface of the storage lower wall 55 when the stopper 60 is in the release position. In addition, a relief recess 82B that corresponds to the shape of the outer circumferential surface at the lower end of the main piston 43 is formed at the upper edge of the stopper rear wall 82.
The stopper side wall portion 83 extends forward from the rear end of the plate-shaped base portion 81 and terminates rearward of the front end edge of the plate-shaped base portion 81 .

The operating body 62 has an operating portion 91 provided with a regulating locking portion 91A that can be locked onto the inner surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 in the regulating position, and a connecting portion 92 that connects the operating portion 91 to the stopper side wall portion 83 of the stopper main body 61 and is formed so as to be elastically deformable relative to the stopper main body 61.
The operating portion 91 has an operating inner wall portion 93, an operating outer wall portion 94 arranged outside the operating inner wall portion 93 in the left-right direction, and a connecting wall portion 95 connecting the operating inner wall portion 93 and the operating outer wall portion 94.

The operating inner wall portion 93 is a plate-like member that is rectangular when viewed left-right and does not protrude below the stopper body 61. A flange portion 93A protruding inward in the left-right direction is formed at the upper end of the operating inner wall portion 93. A restrictor locking portion 91A protruding forward and inserted into the main cylinder 42 is provided at the upper end of the flange portion 93A. The restrictor locking portions 91A are disposed on both the left and right sides of the main piston 43 and are capable of locking from above against the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42, but are spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface 42A. The upper surface of the restrictor locking portion 91A slopes downward from the front to the rear, while the lower surface of the restrictor locking portion 91A extends in a plane along the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions. The restrictor locking portion 91A protrudes rearward beyond the locking protrusion 82A.

The operation outer wall portion 94 is a plate-like member that is circular when viewed in the left-right direction and does not protrude downward beyond the stopper body 61. The upper end of the operation outer wall portion 94 protrudes upward beyond the stopper body 61. The left-right distance between the operation outer wall portion 94 and the operation inner wall portion 93 is equal to the left-right thickness of the trigger side wall portion 52 of the trigger portion 41. The operation outer wall portion 94 and the operation inner wall portion 93 sandwich the trigger side wall portion 52 of the trigger portion 41 in the left-right direction when in the release position.
The connecting wall 95 connects the upper end of the outer operation wall 94 and the upper edge of the inner operation wall 93. In the unrestricted position, the connecting wall 95 is in close proximity to or in contact with the front surface of the trigger side wall 52 of the trigger 41, and restricts the stopper 60, which is in the unrestricted position, from rotating in a direction away from the restricted position.

The connecting portion 92 has a main body side protrusion 96 that protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the stopper side wall portion 83 of the stopper main body 61, an operation side protrusion 97 that protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the operation inner wall portion 93 of the operation portion 91, and a band-shaped portion 98 that connects the main body side protrusion 96 and the operation side protrusion 97.
The main body side protrusion 96 protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the rear end of the stopper side wall portion 83 .
The operation-side protrusion 97 protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the operation inner wall 93 forward of the main body-side protrusion 96 .
The band-like portion 98 extends linearly in a direction outward in the left-right direction as it extends forward in a top view. Note that the shape of the band-like portion 98 is not limited to a linear shape and may be other shapes such as a wavy shape.
The vertical length of the connecting portion 92 is equal to the vertical length of the inner operation wall portion 93. In other words, the width of the band-shaped portion 98, which is the vertical length of the band-shaped portion 98, is greater than the thickness of the band-shaped portion 98, which is the left-right length of the band-shaped portion 98. This prevents the connecting portion 92 from being twisted.

The main cylinder 42 is a cylindrical shape with a bottom, the front end of which is open forward and the rear end of which is closed, and an opening is formed at the rear end of the main cylinder 42 that communicates with the interior of the vertical supply tube section 11.
The main piston 43 is disposed inside the main cylinder 42 and has a cylindrical shape with a rear end that opens rearward and a front end that is closed, and the push-in wall 53 of the trigger 41 abuts against the front end of the main piston 43. This allows the main piston 43 to move back and forth in conjunction with the swing of the trigger 41, and the interior of the main cylinder 42 is pressurized and depressurized as the main piston 43 moves back and forth.

The biasing spring 44 is disposed coaxially with the main piston 43 and the main cylinder 42, and biases the main piston 43, and hence the trigger portion 41, forward.
The ball valve 20 and the storage valve 21 are provided inside the vertical supply tube portion 11. The ball valve 20 serves as a check valve that blocks communication between the inside of the container body A through the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 11 and the inside of the main cylinder 42 when the main cylinder 42 is pressurized, and allows communication between the inside of the container body A through the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 11 and the inside of the main cylinder 42 by displacing upward when the inside of the main cylinder 42 is depressurized.
The storage valve 21 is positioned above the ball valve 20 and allows liquid to be supplied from the inside of the vertical supply tube section 11 to the inside of the storage cylinder 15 through the inside of the connecting tube section 12, and also serves as a check valve that restricts the outflow of liquid from the inside of the storage cylinder 15 to the inside of the vertical supply tube section 11.

Nozzle member 3 is assembled to injection tube portion 18, and includes an attachment tube portion 71 fitted onto injection tube portion 18 from the front, a nozzle shaft portion 72 located inside attachment tube portion 71, and a nozzle cap 73 attached to nozzle shaft portion 72. Nozzle cap 73 is formed with ejection holes 3A that open to the front and eject liquid forward.
The cover body 4 is provided so as to cover the entire vertical supply tube portion 11 except for the lower end portion, the entire injection tube portion 18, and the entire storage cylinder 15 from at least both the left and right sides and above.

Next, a method of using the trigger type liquid ejector 1 having the above-described configuration will be described.
It is assumed that by operating the trigger portion 41 in advance, the inside of each part of the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 is filled with liquid, and the liquid can be sucked up into the inside of the vertical supply tube portion 11.

In the restricted position, the locking projection 82A of the stopper 60 engages with the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42, and the restricting locking portion 91A of the stopper 60 can be engaged with the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 from above. As a result, even if a downward force is unintentionally applied to the stopper 60, the locking projection 82A engaging with the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 prevents the stopper 60 from unintentionally moving from the restricted position to the unrestricted position. Furthermore, even if a downward force sufficient to release the restricting locking portion 91A from the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 is applied, the restricting locking portion 91A engaging with the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 from above prevents the stopper 60 from unintentionally moving from the restricted position to the unrestricted position. As described above, the amount of rearward protrusion of the restricting locking portion 91A is greater than the amount of rearward protrusion of the locking projection 82A. Therefore, even if a force sufficient to disengage the restricting locking portion 91A from the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 is applied, the locking projection 82A will lock onto the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 from above, preventing the stopper 60 from unintentionally moving from the restricted position to the released position. Furthermore, because the lower surface of the restricting locking portion 91A extends in a plane along the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions, even if the lower surface of the restricting locking portion 91A abuts against the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42, forward displacement of the restricting locking portion 91A along the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 is prevented.

First, the pair of operation outer wall portions 94 of the stopper 60 in the restricted position are sandwiched between the left and right sides and pushed inward in the left and right direction. As described above, since the band-shaped portion 98 extends forward from the body-side protrusion 96 to the operation-side protrusion 97, when the operation outer wall portion 94 is pushed inward in the left and right direction, the connecting portion 92 elastically deforms from the connection portion between the band-shaped portion 98 and the body-side protrusion 96 and the connection portion between the band-shaped portion 98 and the operation-side protrusion 97, respectively. The operation portion 91 then displaces forward while displacing inward in the left and right direction. As a result, the restriction locking portion 91A of the operation portion 91 is displaced forward of the main cylinder 42 in a top view, as shown in FIG. 5 . Note that the locking protrusion 82A does not need to be displaced completely forward of the main cylinder 42 in a top view as long as it does not engage with the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 when the stopper 60 is rotated downward around the rotation axis.
Then, while pushing the outer operating wall portion 94 inward in the left-right direction, the stopper 60 is rotated downward about the rotation axis to move from the restricted position to the released position.

When the stopper 60 is moved to the release position, the plate-like base 81 of the stopper body 61 extends along the trigger front wall 51 of the trigger 41. The outer and inner operation walls 94 and 93 of the operating portion 91 each hold a pair of trigger side walls 52 that define the storage recess 41A in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the restricting locking portions 91A of the stopper 60 lock onto the lower storage wall 55 that defines the storage recess 41A. This prevents the stopper 60 from unintentionally moving away from the release position.
Furthermore, the trigger front wall 51, which defines the storage recess 41A, is located in front of the stopper 60. This prevents the stopper 60 from unintentionally moving further forward from the release position. This also prevents the stopper 60 from being exposed further forward than the trigger 41.
In this way, the restriction by the stopper 60 is released.

When moving from the restriction release position to the restriction position, the pair of operation parts 91 sandwich the operation outer wall portions 94 of the operation parts 91 in the left-right direction and rotate around the rotation axis. The restriction locking portion 91A abuts against the front end of the main cylinder 42, but because the upper surface of the restriction locking portion 91A is inclined downward from the front to the rear, the restriction locking portion 91A displaces forward, climbs over the front end of the main cylinder 42, and then displaces back to its original position. This allows the restriction locking portion 91A to be engaged with the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 from above. Furthermore, because the locking protrusion 82A protrudes rearward less than the restriction locking portion 91A, the locking protrusion 82A climbs over the front end of the main cylinder 42 without displacing forward, and then engages with the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 from above.
In this way, the stopper 60 is set to the restricting position.

After moving the stopper 60 to the release position, pulling the trigger 41 rearward against the biasing force of the biasing spring 44 causes the main piston 43 to move rearward from its forward-most position, pressurizing the inside of the main cylinder 42. As a result, the liquid inside the main cylinder 42 is supplied to the vertical supply tube 11, and the supplied liquid presses the ball valve 20 downward and pushes up the storage valve 21. Here, in both the restricting position, which restricts the rearward movement of the trigger 41, and the release position, which releases this restriction, the stopper 60 is prevented from being exposed further forward than the trigger 41, making it less likely that a finger placed on the trigger 41 will interfere with the stopper 60 when pulling the trigger 41.

As a result, the liquid inside the vertical supply tube portion 11 is supplied to the storage space 16A of the storage cylinder 15 through the inside of the connecting tube portion 12 and the supply hole 15A, and the storage space 16A is pressurized. As the storage space 16A is pressurized, the storage plunger 16 moves rearward from its most forward position against the biasing force of the biasing member 17, and the liquid is stored in the storage space 16A. The pressurized liquid in the storage space 16A is also guided through the injection tube portion 18 to the ejection hole 3A and sprayed forward from the ejection hole 3A.
In this way, every time the trigger portion 41 is pulled rearward, the liquid is ejected from the ejection hole 3A and the storage plunger 16 is moved rearward to store the liquid in the storage space 16A.

When the trigger 41 is released, the main piston 43 moves forward due to the restoring force of the spring 44, reducing the pressure inside the main cylinder 42. This makes it possible to raise the ball valve 20 while the reservoir valve 21 is closed, and allows the liquid inside the container body A to be sucked up into the vertical supply tube 11 and introduced into the main cylinder 42. This prepares the container for the next ejection.

On the other hand, when the rearward movement of the trigger portion 41 is stopped, the storage plunger 16 moves forward toward the most forward position due to the biasing force of the biasing member 17. At this time, the storage valve 21 is closed, preventing backflow of liquid from the storage space 16A into the vertical supply tube portion 11.
As a result, the liquid stored in the storage space 16A is sprayed from the ejection hole 3A through the injection tube portion 18. Therefore, the liquid can be ejected not only when the trigger portion 41 is pulled rearward, but also when the trigger portion 41 is not operated, making it possible to eject the liquid continuously.
In this manner, the liquid is ejected from the trigger-type liquid ejector 1.

With the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 of this embodiment configured as described above, when the operating portion 91 is pressed toward the stopper main body 61, the band-shaped portion 98 elastically deforms starting from the connection between the operating-side protrusion 97 and the main body-side protrusion 96, and the restricting locking portion 91A provided on the operating portion 91 displaces forward so as to move away from the main cylinder 42. This releases or weakens the engagement with the main cylinder 42. Therefore, even if the engagement between the restricting locking portion 91A and the main cylinder 42 is strong in the restricting position, the stopper 60 can easily move from the restricting position to the unrestricted position when the restriction is intentionally released. Even if the stopper 60 in the restricting position attempts to move around the rotation axis toward the unrestricted position, the restricting locking portion 91A engages with the inner circumferential surface 42A of the main cylinder 42 from above, thereby restricting unintended movement of the stopper 60 toward the unrestricted position.

Next, a second embodiment of a trigger-type liquid ejector according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the basic configuration of the embodiment described here is the same as that of the embodiment described above, with additional elements added to the above embodiment. Therefore, in the following drawings, the same components as those in the above drawings will be designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the stopper 100 of the trigger-type liquid sprayer according to this embodiment has a tamper-evident function and comprises a stopper main body 101, a pair of operating bodies 102 each having a restricting locking portion 91A, and a restricting body 104 detachably connected to the stopper main body 101 via a weakened portion 103.

The stopper body 101 has the same configuration as the stopper body 61 according to the first embodiment, but the front end edge of the plate-like base 110 is connected to a regulating body 104 via a weakened portion 103 .
The operating body 102 has a configuration similar to that of the operating body 102 according to the first embodiment, but the connecting portion 111 of the operating body 102 is a plate-like member that is rectangular in top view and connects the upper end of the operation outer wall portion 94 and the upper end of the operation inner wall portion 93. The connecting portion 111 is provided forward of the operation outer wall portion 94 of the operating unit 91.

The weakened portion 103 is formed by making it thinner than the vertical thickness of the stopper body 61 of the stopper 100 and the vertical thickness of the regulating plate portion 121, and weakened openings 103A are formed in the weakened portion 103 at intervals in the left-right direction.
The regulating body 104 has a regulating plate portion 121 extending along the plate-shaped base portion 110, a regulating insertion portion 122 protruding upward from the rear end of the regulating plate portion 121, and a knob portion 123 protruding downward from the regulating plate portion 121 forward of the regulating insertion portion 122.
The restricting insertion portion 122 is inserted in the left-right direction between the stopper side wall portion 83 of the stopper main body 101 and the flange portion 93A of the operating inner wall portion 93 of the operating body 102, and a detachment prevention protrusion 122A that protrudes inward in the left-right direction is formed at the upper end of the restricting insertion portion 122.

The stopper 100 configured as described above is formed by integral molding as shown in Figure 8. By rotating the regulating body 104 downward around the weakened portion 103 relative to the stopper main body 101, the regulating insertion portion 122 is inserted left and right between the stopper side wall portion 83 of the stopper main body 101 and the flange portion 93A of the operation inner wall portion 93 of the operation body 102. The detachment prevention protrusion 122A of the regulating insertion portion 122 protrudes above the operation inner wall portion 93 and engages with the upper edge of the operation inner wall portion 93 from above. When the regulating body 104 is rotated about the weakened portion 103 relative to the stopper main body 101, the knob portion 123 extends downward.

The method of using the trigger-type liquid sprayer configured as described above is the same as the method of using the trigger-type liquid sprayer 1 according to the first embodiment described above, but as shown in Figure 7, the restricting insertion portion 122 is inserted in the left-right direction between the stopper side wall portion 83 of the stopper main body 101 and the flange portion 93A of the operating inner wall portion 93 of the operating body 102, so that the operating portion 91 of the operating body 102 is restricted from being displaced inward in the left-right direction.
Then, the weakened portion 103 is broken by pinching the knob portion 123 and pulling it downward, and the restricting body 104 is separated from the stopper body 101. This releases the restriction on the inward displacement of the operating portion 91 in the left-right direction.
Then, when the pair of operating outer wall portions 94 of the stopper 100 are sandwiched between the left and right sides and the operating outer wall portions 94 are pushed inward in the left and right direction, since the operating outer wall portions 94 are located rearward of the connecting portion 111, the connecting portion 111 elastically deforms from the connecting portion 111 as a starting point so that the rear end of the operating portion 91 approaches the stopper main body 101, and the regulating engagement portion 91A is displaced forward and inward in the left and right direction.
In this way, the restriction by the stopper 100 is released.
The subsequent operation of the trigger type liquid ejector is the same as that of the trigger type liquid ejector 1 according to the first embodiment.
In this manner, liquid is ejected from the trigger-type liquid ejector according to this embodiment.

The trigger-type liquid ejector of this embodiment configured as described above has the same actions and effects as the trigger-type liquid ejector 1 of the first embodiment, but because the restricting insertion portion 122 is inserted in the left-right direction between the stopper side wall portion 83 of the stopper main body 101 and the flange portion 93A of the operation inner wall portion 93 of the operation body 102, the operation portion 91 of the operation body 102 is restricted from being displaced inward in the left-right direction. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the stopper 100 from moving toward the restriction release position.
Moreover, by checking the connection state between the regulating body 104 and the stopper body 101 and the presence or absence of the regulating body 104, it is possible to easily check whether the trigger-type liquid ejector is in use.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, the trigger-type liquid ejector has a configuration that allows continuous ejection of liquid by including a storage cylinder, but may also have a configuration that does not allow continuous ejection of liquid.
The stopper is rotatable around a rotation axis at the upper end of the stopper, but may also be rotatable around a rotation axis at the lower end of the stopper. Furthermore, the rotation axis of the stopper may extend in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction, and is not limited to the left-right direction.
The stopper is provided with a pair of operating bodies, but may be provided with only one operating body.
The shape of the stopper body is generally box-shaped with a wall extending upward from the outer peripheral edge of the base, but it may also have other shapes, such as an opening formed in the base to form a frame-like shape overall.
The restricting locking portion is provided at the upper end of the operating inner wall portion, but may be provided at other locations, such as the lower end of the operating inner wall portion or the operating outer wall portion, as long as it can move in a direction away from the main cylinder in response to elastic displacement of the operating body relative to the stopper body. Furthermore, the restricting locking portion may be capable of engaging with the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder at the restricting position, but may be spaced from the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder, but may be abutted against the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder. Furthermore, while the restricting locking portion is capable of engaging with the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder from above, it may also be capable of engaging from other directions as long as it can restrict movement of the stopper from the restricting position to the release position. Furthermore, although the restricting locking portion is capable of engaging with the inner circumferential surface of the main cylinder, it may also be capable of engaging with other locations on the main cylinder. Furthermore, the restricting locking portion may be capable of engaging with other locations on the ejector body, not just the main cylinder.
The operating body has an inner operating wall and an outer operating wall that sandwich the trigger-side wall of the trigger part in the left-right direction, but one of the inner operating wall and the outer operating wall may be absent. Also, the shape of the operating body is not limited to the shape having a protrusion and a band-like part as in the first embodiment or the plate-like shape as in the second embodiment, and may be another shape as long as it is elastically displaceable toward the stopper body and is formed so that the restricting locking part moves away from the locked part of the cylinder as a result of this elastic displacement.
The regulating body is connected to the stopper body via a weakened portion, but may also be connected to the operating body via a weakened portion, or may be connected to both the stopper body and the operating body. Furthermore, the regulating body regulates the elastic displacement of the operating body toward the stopper body by being inserted between the stopper body and the operating portion of the operating body, but the elastic displacement may be regulated in other ways.
Although the stopper body is provided with a locking protrusion, it is not necessary to provide the locking protrusion.
The stopper is accommodated within the storage recess in the derestricted position and is configured so as not to be exposed forward relative to the trigger portion, but it may also be configured so that the trigger portion does not have a storage recess and the stopper is not accommodated within the storage recess, or it may be configured so that the stopper is exposed forward relative to the trigger portion.

This invention has been found to have industrial applicability for a trigger-type liquid sprayer that has a stopper that provides strong resistance to unintended external forces while allowing for easy intentional release of that resistance.

1. Trigger-type liquid sprayer; 2. Sprayer body; 3. Nozzle member (nozzle portion); 3A. Spray hole; 11. Vertical supply tube portion; 19. Trigger mechanism; 41. Trigger portion; 42. Main cylinder (cylinder); 42A. Inner surface (receiving portion, inner surface); 43. Main piston (piston); 60, 100. Stopper; 61, 101. Stopper body; 62, 102. Operating body; 91. Operating portion; 91A. Restricting and locking portion; 92. Connecting portion; 96. Main body-side protrusion; 97. Operating side protrusion; 98. Belt-shaped portion; A. Container body

Claims (4)

an ejector body attached to a container containing a liquid;
a nozzle portion disposed on the front side of the ejector body and having an ejection hole formed therein for ejecting liquid;
Equipped with
The ejector body,
a vertical supply tube portion extending in the vertical direction and sucking up the liquid in the container body;
a trigger mechanism including a trigger section disposed in front of the vertical supply tube section in a forward biased state and movable rearward, a piston that moves forward and backward in conjunction with the swinging of the trigger section, and a cylinder whose interior is pressurized and depressurized as the piston moves and whose interior is connected to the vertical supply tube section, and which causes the liquid to flow from inside the vertical supply tube section toward the ejection hole side as the trigger section moves rearward;
A trigger-type liquid ejector comprising:
a stopper is attached to the trigger portion, the stopper being rotatably supported about a rotation axis extending in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction with respect to the trigger portion, between a restricting position where the trigger portion abuts against or is close to the ejector main body to restrict rearward movement of the trigger portion and a restricting release position where the restriction is released and the rearward movement of the trigger portion is permitted,
The stopper is
a stopper body that is rotatably provided on the trigger portion about the rotation axis and that abuts against or is close to the ejector body at the restricting position to restrict rearward movement of the trigger portion;
an operating body having a restricting and locking portion that is locked to a locked portion of the ejector main body at the restricting position and that restricts the stopper from moving to the restricting release position;
Equipped with
A trigger-type liquid ejector characterized in that the operating body is elastically displaceable on the stopper body so that the restricting engaging portion moves away from the engaged portion when the operating body is pushed inward in the left-right direction . The trigger-type liquid ejector described in claim 1, characterized in that the operating body comprises an operating portion provided with the restricting locking portion, and an elastically deformable connecting portion connecting the operating portion to the stopper main body. The connecting portion is
a main body side protrusion protruding from the stopper main body toward the operation portion;
an operation-side protrusion protruding from the operation portion toward the stopper body and positioned forward of the body-side protrusion;
a band-shaped portion that connects the main body-side protrusion and the operation-side protrusion, and that moves closer to the operation portion while moving away from the stopper main body as it moves forward;
3. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 2, further comprising: The locked portion is provided on the inner surface of the cylinder,
4. The trigger-type liquid ejector according to claim 1, wherein the restricting and locking portion is inserted into the cylinder.