JP7844167B2 - Dispenser for thin-walled containers, and thin-walled container with dispenser. - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a dispensing device for thin-walled containers, which dispenses the contents contained within the thin-walled container.

As a synthetic resin container capable of holding contents such as cosmetics, detergents, or beverages, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a container has been disclosed that, even if the body and bottom are made thinner for the purpose of considering environmental issues and reducing costs, can still maintain a self-supporting posture by forming self-supporting legs.

Incidentally, in the synthetic resin container described in Patent Document 1, there was a possibility that the thin-walled body and other parts might buckle if the attached nozzle head was pressed too hard. Therefore, the lower end of the suction pipe that sucks up the contents was positioned close to the bottom of the container so that the downward load was received by the lower end of the suction pipe, or the suction pipe was extended radially outward downwards to reinforce the body and prevent buckling of the container body.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-73756

However, when the suction pipe is extended radially outward downwards, it becomes difficult to remove it from the container when pulling it out to refill the contents, as the suction pipe can get caught on the opening of the container. Therefore, there was still room for improvement in this regard.

This disclosure aims to solve these problems, and its objective is to propose a dispensing device for thin-walled containers that reduces the amount of resin used, thereby lowering the environmental impact, while also facilitating the replacement of dispensing devices and refilling of contents.

The dispensing device for thin-walled containers of this disclosure is
A pump unit having an upwardly biased stem, which pumps the contents contained in the container body, which is a thin-walled container, upward by the downward movement of the stem,
A dispensing device for thin-walled containers, comprising a nozzle head attached to the upper end of the stem, which operates the pump section by pressing down to discharge the contents from the nozzle,
The pump section has a suction pipe that hangs down so as to be able to contact the bottom of the container body and sucks up the contents.
The suction pipe has an expanded diameter portion where the lower end of the suction pipe abuts against the bottom of the container body, causing it to expand radially outward.
The enlarged portion has a hinge portion extending in the circumferential direction, and by bending the hinge portion so that it protrudes radially outward , it can enlarge in diameter and come into contact with the body of the container .
The dispensing device for thin-walled containers is characterized by having a holding portion that maintains the outer diameter of the enlarged portion to be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the mouth of the container body.

Furthermore, in the thin-walled container dispensing device of this disclosure, in the above configuration, the suction pipe preferably comprises a cylindrical member and an enlarged diameter member formed separately from the cylindrical member and attached to the lower part of the cylindrical member, wherein the enlarged diameter portion is formed above the suction opening provided at the lower part of the suction pipe.

Furthermore, in the thin-walled container dispensing device of this disclosure, it is preferable that the diameter-expanding member has an extension cylindrical portion that extends downward from the lower part of the cylindrical member toward the radially inner side of the diameter-expanding portion, with the suction opening formed at its lower end.

Furthermore, in the thin-walled container dispensing device of this disclosure, it is preferable that, in the above configuration, a contact cylinder portion is formed at the lower part of the diameter-expanding member, which can abut against the bottom of the container body, and that a notch portion is provided in the side wall of the contact cylinder portion to allow the contents to pass through radially.

Furthermore, in the thin-walled container dispensing device of this disclosure, it is preferable that the enlarged diameter portion is connected to the lower end of the cylindrical portion and integrally formed with the cylindrical portion.

Furthermore, in the thin-walled container dispensing device of this disclosure, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the holding portion engages with the container body when the thin-walled container dispensing device is attached to the container body.

Furthermore, in the thin-walled container dispensing device of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the holding portion has a pair of engaging portions that hold the outer diameter of the enlarged portion to be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the mouth of the container body.

Furthermore, the thin-walled container with a dispensing device of this disclosure is
A pump unit having an upwardly biased stem, which pumps the contents contained in the container body, which is a thin-walled container, upward by the downward movement of the stem,
A dispensing device for thin-walled containers comprising a nozzle head attached to the upper end of the stem, which operates the pump section by pressing down to discharge the contents from the nozzle,
A thin-walled container with a dispensing device, comprising the container body with the aforementioned dispensing device for thin-walled containers attached to its opening,
The pump section has a suction pipe that hangs down so as to be able to contact the bottom of the container body and sucks up the contents.
The suction pipe has an expanded diameter portion where the lower end of the suction pipe abuts against the bottom of the container body, causing it to expand radially outward.
The enlarged portion has a hinge portion extending in the circumferential direction, and by bending the hinge portion so that it protrudes radially outward , it can enlarge in diameter and come into contact with the body of the container .
The dispensing device for thin-walled containers is characterized by having a holding portion that maintains the outer diameter of the enlarged portion to be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the mouth of the container body.

According to this disclosure, it is possible to propose a dispensing device for thin-walled containers that reduces the amount of resin used, thereby lowering the environmental impact, while also facilitating the replacement of dispensing devices and refilling of contents.

This is a front view of the mounting cap, pump section, and nozzle head, which constitute a dispensing device for thin-walled containers according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a magnified view of the lower part of the suction pipe that constitutes the pump section in Figure 1. This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Figure 2A. This is a front view of a retaining ring, which constitutes a dispensing device for thin-walled containers according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a partial front cross-sectional view showing the dispensing device for thin-walled containers according to the first embodiment of this disclosure attached to the mouth of the container body. This is a detailed view of section C in Figure 4A. This figure shows the state in which the mounting cap is removed from the container body from the state in Figure 4A, and the expanded diameter section is returning to its original state due to the upward movement of the suction pipe. This is a front cross-sectional view showing the state in which the suction pipe has been moved further upward from the state in Figure 5, resulting in a reduced diameter where the enlarged portion fits inside the retaining ring. This is a front cross-sectional view showing the state in which, due to further upward movement of the suction pipe from the state in Figure 6, the lower end flange of the suction pipe lifts the retaining ring upward, thereby separating it from the container body. This is a partial front cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a dispensing device for thin-walled containers according to the first embodiment of this disclosure. This is a detailed view of section D in Figure 8A. This is a partial front cross-sectional view showing the dispensing device for thin-walled containers according to the second embodiment of this disclosure attached to the mouth of the container body. This figure shows the state in which the attachment cap is removed from the container body from the state in Figure 9, and the expanded diameter section is returning to its original state due to the upward movement of the suction pipe. This is a front cross-sectional view showing the state in which the suction pipe has been moved further upward from the state in Figure 10, resulting in a reduced diameter where the enlarged portion fits inside the mouth of the container body. This is a front cross-sectional view showing the state in which, due to further upward movement of the suction pipe from the state in Figure 11, the enlarged diameter portion passes inside the mouth of the container body and separates from the container body. This is a side view of an enlarged diameter portion in a modified example of a dispensing device for thin-walled containers according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. This is a front cross-sectional view of the enlarged diameter portion in a modified example of a dispensing device for thin-walled containers according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. This is a partial front cross-sectional view showing the dispensing device for thin-walled containers according to the third embodiment of this disclosure attached to the mouth of the container body. This is a bottom view of a diameter-enlarging member constituting a discharge device for thin-walled containers according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. This is a front cross-sectional view showing a state in which the flange portion of the suction pipe comes into contact with the retaining ring and can be lifted upward by moving the suction pipe upward from the state shown in Figure 14. This is a front cross-sectional view showing the state in which, due to further upward movement of the suction pipe from the state in Figure 16, the enlarged diameter portion passes inside the mouth of the container body and separates from the container body.

The following will provide a more detailed explanation of this disclosure with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 shows the mounting cap 20, pump unit 30, and nozzle head 40 that constitute the thin-walled container dispensing device 100, which is a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The thin-walled container dispensing device 100, by pressing the nozzle head 40, pumps the contents of the container body 10 (formed as a thin-walled container as shown in Figure 4A, etc.) upwards, and discharges them to the outside through the nozzle hole 43a via the nozzle 43.

In this specification, claims, abstract, and drawings, the side where the nozzle head 40 is located is defined as the upper side (upper side in Figure 1), and the side where the suction pipe 35 of the pump unit 30 is located is defined as the lower side (lower side in Figure 1). Furthermore, radially outward refers to the direction away from the central axis O of the thin-walled container dispensing device 100 in Figures 1 and 4A, along a straight line passing through and perpendicular to the central axis O, while radially inward refers to the direction toward the central axis O along the same straight line. Also, the left direction in Figure 1, which is the tip direction of the nozzle 43, is defined as the front, and the right direction in Figure 1 is defined as the rear.

In this specification, claims, abstract, and drawings, "thin-walled container" refers to a container having a wall thickness sufficient to allow its body to be easily folded and bent. However, a thin-walled container does not necessarily need to have a folded portion. Besides the container body 10 of this embodiment, the thin-walled container may also be a so-called pouch container formed by heat welding of a film.

The mounting cap 20 serves to secure the pump unit 30 to the opening 3 of the container body 10 (see Figure 4A). As shown in Figure 1, the mounting cap 20 comprises an annular outer wall 21 and a top wall 23 connected to the upper end of the outer wall 21. A through hole 23a for the pump unit 30 is provided approximately at the radial center of the top wall 23.

The inner surface of the outer peripheral wall 21 is provided with a female threaded portion 21a that can engage with the male threaded portion 3b provided on the outer surface of the mouth 3 of the container body 10. Note that when attaching the mounting cap 20 to the container body 10 by screw-in engagement, instead of the female threaded portion 21a, an engaging projection that can engage with the screw-in engagement may be provided on the annular projection on the container body 10.

The pump unit 30 plays the role of pumping the contents of the container body 10, such as cosmetics, detergents, or food products, upwards within the storage space M. The pump unit 30 comprises a pump body 31, a stem 37 that is biased upward so as to be movable downward relative to the pump body 31, and a suction pipe 35 attached to the lower part of the pump body 31, which guides the contents contained in the storage space M into the pump body 31.

A flange portion 32 extending radially outward is integrally formed on the upper part of the pump body 31. The pump body 30 and the retaining ring 50 are fixed to the mouth 3 of the container body 10 by sandwiching the flange portion 32, the packing 33 located on the lower surface of the flange portion 32, and the retaining flange 53 of the retaining ring 50 (see Figure 4B), which will be described later, between the top wall 23 of the mounting cap 20 and the upper end surface of the mouth 3 of the container body 10.

The suction pipe 35 is fitted and fixed to the inner surface of the mounting cylinder portion 34 provided at the lower part of the pump body 31. As shown in Figures 1 and 2A, the suction pipe 35 comprises a cylindrical portion 35t that fits into the mounting cylinder portion 34, and an enlarged diameter portion 35d that is connected to the lower end of the cylindrical portion 35t and integrally formed with the cylindrical portion 35t. In this embodiment, the suction pipe 35 has a hinge portion 35a at a height below the central height, and the enlarged diameter portion 35d (see Figure 4A) expands radially outward when the hinge portion 35a is bent so that it protrudes radially outward. In this embodiment, the cylindrical portion 35t refers to the entire upper part that is not enlarged when the enlarged diameter portion 35d is enlarged radially outward in the suction pipe 35 shown in Figure 4A, for example, and the enlarged portion below the cylindrical portion 35t is referred to as the enlarged diameter portion 35d.

Figure 2A is an enlarged view of the lower part of the suction pipe 35. As described above, the lower part of the suction pipe 35 is provided with a hinge portion 35a extending in the circumferential direction, and four notches 35c extending vertically from the height of the hinge portion 35a are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (see Figure 2B). Because the four notches 35c are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, the lower part of the suction pipe 35 forms expandable diameter portions 35d at four locations in the circumferential direction, which can expand radially outward by the outward bending of the hinge portion 35a. As shown in Figure 2B, the circumferential width of the expandable diameter portions 35d is approximately constant in the thickness direction, and it has an arc-shaped cross-section. The suction pipe 35 is made of an elastic material such as synthetic resin, and the upper and lower ends of the expandable diameter portions 35d are also bendable. As shown in Figure 2A, the hinge portion 35a is thinned by concaveness on the outer side in the radial direction, and is bendable so that the hinge portion 35a protrudes radially outward.

On the other hand, in the state shown in Figures 1 and 2A, where the enlarged diameter portion 35d of the suction pipe 35 is not enlarged radially outward, the vertical distance between the lower surface of the packing 33 of the thin-walled container dispensing device 100 and the lower surface of the lower end flange 35b of the suction pipe 35 is greater than the distance between the upper end surface of the mouth portion 3 of the container body 10 and the upper surface of the bottom portion 1.

With this configuration, when attaching the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 to the container body 10, the lower end flange 35b of the suction pipe 35 reaches the bottom 1 of the container body 10 before the attachment cap 20 is attached to the opening 3. Then, when the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 is pushed downwards until the attachment cap 20 can be attached to the opening 3, the expanding diameter portion 35d expands radially outward until the hinge portion 35a contacts the body portion 2 of the container body 10, as shown in Figure 4A. In the example shown in Figure 4A, the hinge portion 35a enters from the inside and is held in contact with the annular projection 2a provided on the lower part of the body portion 2.

In this embodiment, the hinge portion 35a is configured to abut against the body portion 2 to suppress bending of the body portion 2, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The enlarged diameter portion 35d may be configured to expand radially outward until the hinge portion 35a approaches the body portion 2, and then abut against the hinge portion 35a, etc., when the body portion 2 begins to bend.

The suction pipe 35 is configured such that its upper end is fitted and fixed to the inner surface of the mounting cylinder portion 34 provided at the lower part of the pump body 31. However, this configuration is not limited to this example; for instance, the outer cylinder portion of the pump body 31 and the suction pipe 35 may be integrally formed.

The upper part of the pump body 31 is provided with a stem 37 that is biased upward and operates the pump by moving downward relative to the pump body 31. As shown in Figures 1 and 4A, the stem 37 is a cylindrical member, and is fixed to the nozzle head 40 by a mounting cylinder 45 that hangs down from the pressing portion 41 of the nozzle head 40 (described later) fitting inside it. When the user presses the pressing portion 41 of the nozzle head 40, the stem 37 is simultaneously pushed down, operating the pump inside the pump body 31.

The nozzle head 40 comprises a pressing portion 41 for applying pressure when the user pushes down the nozzle head 40 to operate the pump, a nozzle 43 extending forward (to the left in Figure 1) from the pressing portion 41, a mounting cylinder portion 45 hanging down from the pressing portion 41 for attaching the nozzle head 40 to the stem 37, and an engaging cylinder portion 47 surrounding the radially outer side of the mounting cylinder portion 45. The mounting cylinder portion 45 is a cylindrical part extending vertically and forms an internal flow path that guides the contents pumped from the pump unit 30 to the nozzle 43. An engaging female thread 47a is formed on the inner surface of the engaging cylinder portion 47, and by screw-engaging it with an engaging male thread 36 formed on the upper part of the pump body 31, the nozzle head 40 can be fixed to the pump unit 30, keeping the pump in an inoperable state.

The retaining ring 50 constituting the dispensing device 100 for thin-walled containers comprises, as shown in Figures 3 and 4B, a circumferential wall 51 intermittently arranged at four locations in the circumferential direction, a retaining flange 53 connected to the upper part of the circumferential wall 51 via an expanding ring 57, a sealing cylinder 55 (see Figure 4B) hanging down from the lower surface of the retaining flange 53, and a lower end ring 59 (see Figure 3) provided at the lower end of the circumferential wall 51. As shown in Figure 3, the circumferential wall 51 is divided into four sections in the circumferential direction by notches 52 and is intermittently arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the outer diameters of the circumferential wall 51 and the expanding ring 57 are smaller than the inner diameter of the mouth 3 of the container body 10.

By providing a notch 52 in the peripheral wall 51, contents adhering to the cylindrical portion 35t and the enlarged diameter portion 35d of the suction pipe 35 can be returned to the container body 10 through this notch 52. Furthermore, providing the notch 52 can reduce the amount of resin used.

In this embodiment, the retaining ring 50 is separate from the other components of the thin-walled container dispensing device 100, namely the mounting cap 20, the pump unit 30, and the nozzle head 40. The retaining ring 50 is fixed to the container body 10 together with the pump body 31 by the mounting cap 20 (see Figure 4A). When the retaining ring 50 is attached to the container body 10, the pump body 31 passes through the inside of the peripheral wall 51 of the retaining ring 50, and the outer surface of the sealing cylinder 55 contacts the inner surface of the peripheral wall 3a of the opening 3 of the container body 10 (see Figures 4A and 4B). This ensures that the opening 3 of the container body 10 is sealed liquid-tight.

Next, the container body 10 to which the thin-walled container dispensing device 100 of this embodiment is attached will be described. As shown in Figure 4A and other figures, the container body 10 comprises a spout 3 for dispensing contents such as cosmetics, detergents, or food stored in a storage space M, a body 2 connected below the spout 3 to form the storage space M, and a bottom 1 that closes the lower end of the body 2. In this embodiment, the spout 3 of the container body 10 is a cylindrical body having a substantially circular shape in plan view.

Below the opening 3, a body 2, which is roughly cylindrical in shape, is provided, connected to the lower end of the opening 3 via a shoulder portion 7. The inside of the body 2 forms a storage space M for the contents. In this embodiment, a thin-walled container dispensing device 100 is attached to the opening 3, and the pump is operated to dispense the contents from the storage space M.

As shown in Figure 4A, a constricted portion 5 is provided at the lower part of the body 2, which is recessed radially inward. As shown in Figure 4A, the constricted portion 5 has an upper wall 5a oriented radially outward toward upward and a lower wall 5b oriented radially outward toward downward. The constricted portion 5 is provided with reinforcing ribs 5r that span vertically between the upper wall 5a and the lower wall 5b. The reinforcing ribs 5r are intermittently provided at eight equally spaced locations in the circumferential direction. These reinforcing ribs 5r act to suppress changes in the angle between the upper wall 5a and the lower wall 5b of the constricted portion 5. Furthermore, the action of the reinforcing ribs 5r can suppress the radial expansion of the folded portion 4. In the container body 10 shown in Figure 4A, in order to push back the bottom portion 1, which has been folded upward using the folded portion 4 as a fulcrum, downward again, the folded portion 4 needs to expand in diameter, but by providing the reinforcing ribs 5r, the folded portion 4 is less likely to expand in diameter. Therefore, by providing reinforcing ribs 5r in the constricted portion 5, it is possible to prevent the bottom portion 1, which is folded upward using the folded portion 4 as a pivot point, from being pushed downward due to the increase in internal pressure within the containment space M caused by temperature rise, etc., and returning to the original shape of the container immediately after molding. Note that reinforcing ribs 5r are not sufficient in just two locations; the above reinforcement of the constricted portion 5 can be achieved by providing them in at least four locations in the circumferential direction.

As shown in Figure 4A, the lower wall 5b of the constricted portion 5 is connected to the outer wall 1c of the bottom portion 1 via the folded portion 4. By folding the outer wall 1c at the folded portion 4 so that it overlaps with the lower wall 5b, a self-supporting leg portion 9 is formed, as shown in Figure 4A, consisting of the lower wall 5b, the folded portion 4, and the outer wall 1c. As shown in Figure 4A, the self-supporting leg portion 9 extends radially outward downwards with the lower wall 5b of the constricted portion 5 and the outer wall 1c of the bottom portion 1 overlapping each other, and is connected to each other at its lower end via the folded portion 4. Thus, in this embodiment, the self-supporting leg portion 9 has high rigidity because it is constructed by overlapping the lower wall 5b and the outer wall 1c. Therefore, the container body 10 can be stably supported by the self-supporting leg portion 9. The folded portion 4 is an annular portion having a substantially circular hollow section in the cross-section shown in Figure 4A.

The bottom portion 1 comprises the aforementioned outer wall portion 1c, an inner wall portion 1b provided radially inward of the outer wall portion 1c via a bent portion 6, and a liquid reservoir portion 1a (recess) provided radially inward of the inner wall portion 1b and at the radial center of the bottom portion 1. This creates a lowered bottom shape in the bottom portion 1, allowing liquid contents to be stored in the inner wall portion 1b, which slopes downward radially inward from the bent portion 6 at the upper end, and in the liquid reservoir portion 1a located at the radial center.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4A, with the thin-walled container dispensing device 100 attached to the container body 10, the lower end flange 35b of the suction pipe 35 enters the liquid reservoir 1a and is positioned radially. This configuration prevents the suction pipe 35 from shifting radially relative to the container body 10, thus more reliably reinforcing the container body 10 and making it less susceptible to buckling.

In this embodiment, both the inner wall portion 1b and the liquid reservoir portion 1a are provided radially inward of the outer wall portion 1c, but the configuration is not limited to this. Since the portion located below the bent portion 6 on the radially inward side of the outer wall portion 1c has a liquid reservoir function, the configuration may also consist of only one of the inner wall portion 1b or the liquid reservoir portion 1a. In this embodiment, since the liquid reservoir portion 1a has a positioning function for the suction pipe 35, it is more preferable to provide the liquid reservoir portion 1a at the bottom portion 1.

The container body 10 can be formed, for example, by extrusion blow molding onto a parison made of a synthetic resin material. Alternatively, the container body 10 can be formed by biaxial stretch blow molding onto a preform formed by means of injection molding, compression molding, extrusion molding, etc. Here, the material for the container body 10 can be, for example, synthetic resin materials such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene resin (HDPE), medium-density polyethylene resin (MDPE), polypropylene (homo-PP, random PP, block PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

When refilling the contents of the container body 10 fitted with the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 shown in Figure 4A, as shown in Figure 5, the mounting cap 20 is rotated counterclockwise in a plan view to release the screw engagement between the mounting cap 20 and the mouth portion 3 of the container body 10. Then, when the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 is pulled upward, the hinge portion 35a undergoes elastic deformation (bending) due to the upward pressure, causing the enlarged portion 35d, which had expanded radially outward, to return to its original shape due to the restoring force. That is, the elastic deformation of the hinge portion 35a decreases, and the enlarged portion 35d moves radially inward. Consequently, the hinge portion 35a also moves radially inward, separating from the annular projection 2a.

When the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 is further pulled upward from the state shown in Figure 5, the upper end of the enlarged diameter portion 35d above the hinge portion 35a passes through the lower end ring 59 of the retaining ring 50 and enters the inside of the peripheral wall 51. Then, as the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 rises further, the outer surface of the enlarged diameter portion 35d comes into contact with the inner surface of the lower end ring 59 and is pressed radially inward, causing it to shrink radially inward. As shown in Figure 6, the enlarged diameter portion 35d shrinks to a width that allows it to enter the inside of the peripheral wall 51 of the retaining ring 50.

In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the lower end flange 35b of the suction pipe 35 is greater than the inner diameter of the lower end ring 59 of the retaining ring 50 and less than the inner diameter of the opening 3. Therefore, in Figure 6, when the upper surface of the lower end flange 35b contacts the lower surface of the lower end ring 59 due to the upward pulling of the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100, the suction pipe 35 lifts the retaining ring 50 upward, as shown in Figure 7. This lifting of the retaining ring 50 by the suction pipe 35 disengages the seal cylinder 55 from the inner surface of the opening periphery wall 3a, and the enlarged diameter portion 35d is reduced in diameter to fit within the retaining ring 50, passing through the opening 3 and being removed to the outside.

After removing the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 from the container body 10, the user refills the container body 10 with its contents and then reattaches the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 to the container body 10. As shown in Figure 7, the enlarged diameter portion 35d of the suction pipe 35 is reduced in diameter so that it fits within the retaining ring 50, allowing it to easily pass through the inside of the opening 3 and re-enter the storage space M of the container body 10.

As the retaining ring 50 passes downwards through the inside of the opening 3, the sealing cylinder 55 of the retaining ring 50 fits again against the inner surface of the opening's peripheral wall 3a (see Figure 6), the lower end flange 35b abuts against the liquid reservoir 1a (see Figure 5), and the enlarged diameter portion 35d expands again radially outward (see Figure 4A).

Next, a modified example of the thin-walled container dispensing device 100 according to this embodiment will be described using Figures 8A and 8B. This modified thin-walled container dispensing device 101 is similar in configuration to the first embodiment, except for a difference in the configuration of the retaining ring 50. Therefore, this description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

The thin-walled container dispensing device 101 according to this modified example, as shown in Figure 8B, comprises a circumferential wall 51, a retaining flange 53a connected to the upper part of the circumferential wall 51 via an expanding ring 57, and an outer peripheral wall 58 hanging down from the outer peripheral end of the retaining flange 53a. The outer surface of the lower part of the outer peripheral wall 58 is provided with two annular protrusions 58a and 58b, arranged vertically and projecting radially outward. The retaining ring 50 is fixed to the mouth 3 of the container body 10 in both the radial and vertical directions by an undercut engagement of the inner surface of the bottleneck 3e, formed below the male threaded portion 3b of the container body 10, at a height between these two annular protrusions 58a and 58b. In this embodiment as well, the diameters of the circumferential wall 51 and the expanding ring 57 are smaller than the inner diameter of the mouth 3 of the container body 10.

The pump unit 30 is fixed to the mouth 3 of the container body 10 by sandwiching the flange portion 32 of the pump unit 30 and the packing 33 positioned on the lower surface of the flange portion 32 between the top wall 23 of the mounting cap 20 and the upper end surface of the mouth 3 of the container body 10. At this time, the retaining flange 53a of the retaining ring 50 is pre-pressurized downward by the packing 33, and the annular projection 58a of the retaining ring 50 engages with the mouth 3 with virtually no gap through an undercut.

When refilling the contents of the container body 10 fitted with the thin-walled container dispensing device 101 shown in Figure 8A, the mounting cap 20 is rotated counterclockwise in a plan view to release the screw engagement between the mounting cap 20 and the mouth portion 3 of the container body 10. Then, by gripping the mounting cap 20 and pulling the pump portion 30 upward, the packing 33 separates from the retaining flange 53a of the retaining ring 50. Furthermore, the hinge portion 35a undergoes elastic deformation (bending) due to the upward pressure, causing the enlarged portion 35d, which had expanded radially outward, to return to its original shape due to the restoring force. That is, the elastic deformation of the hinge portion 35a decreases, and the enlarged portion 35d moves radially inward. Consequently, the hinge portion 35a also separates from the annular projection 2a and moves radially inward.

Further upward movement of the pump section 30 causes the upper end of the enlarged diameter section 35d above the hinge section 35a to pass through the lower end ring 59 of the retaining ring 50 and enter the inside of the peripheral wall 51. Further upward movement of the pump section 30 causes the outer surface of the enlarged diameter section 35d to contact the inner surface of the lower end ring 59, pressing it radially inward and further reducing its diameter radially inward. The enlarged diameter section 35d is reduced to a width that allows it to enter the inside of the peripheral wall 51 of the retaining ring 50.

In this modified example, the outer diameter of the lower end flange 35b of the suction pipe 35 is greater than the inner diameter of the lower end ring 59 of the retaining ring 50 but less than the inner diameter of the opening 3. Therefore, when the upper surface of the lower end flange 35b contacts the lower surface of the lower end ring 59 due to the upward pulling of the thin-walled container dispensing tool 101, the suction pipe 35 lifts the retaining ring 50 upward. This lifting of the retaining ring 50 by the suction pipe 35 disengages the undercut engagement of the bottleneck 3e with the annular projections 58a and 58b, and the enlarged diameter portion 35d is reduced in diameter to fit within the retaining ring 50, passing through the opening 3 and being removed to the outside.

After removing the thin-walled container dispensing tool 101 from the container body 10, the user refills the container body 10 with its contents and then reattaches the thin-walled container dispensing tool 101 to the container body 10. Since the enlarged diameter portion 35d of the suction pipe 35 has already been reduced in diameter to fit within the retaining ring 50, it can easily pass through the inside of the opening 3 and re-enter the storage space M of the container body 10.

As the retaining ring 50 passes downwards through the inside of the opening 3, the annular projections 58a and 58b of the retaining ring 50 undercut and engage again with the bottleneck 3e of the circumferential wall 3a of the opening, causing the lower end flange 35b to contact the liquid reservoir 1a, and the enlarged diameter portion 35d expands again radially outward.

As described above, this embodiment is a discharge tool 100 for thin-walled containers, comprising a pump unit 30 having an upwardly biased stem 37 that pumps contents contained in a container body 10, which is a thin-walled container, upward by the downward movement of the stem 37, and a nozzle head 40 attached to the upper end of the stem 37 that operates the pump unit 30 by being pressed to discharge the contents from a nozzle 43. The pump unit 30 has a suction pipe 35 that hangs down so as to be able to contact the bottom 1 of the container body 10 and sucks up the contents, and the suction pipe 35 has an expanding portion 35d that expands radially outward when the lower end (lower end flange 35b) of the suction pipe 35 contacts the bottom 1 of the container body 10, and the discharge tool 100 for thin-walled containers is configured to include a holding portion (holding ring 50) that holds the outer diameter of the expanding portion 35d to be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the opening 3 of the container body 10. By adopting this configuration, the environmental impact can be reduced by using thin-walled containers, while also facilitating the replacement of the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 and the refilling of contents. Specifically, in this embodiment, when removing the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 to refill the contents of the container body 10, the outer diameter of the enlarged portion 35d is reduced to less than or equal to the inner diameter of the retaining ring 50, allowing it to easily pass through the opening 3 of the container body 10. Furthermore, in this embodiment, even when the pressing portion 41 of the nozzle head 40 is pressed down with strong force, the lower end flange 35b of the suction pipe 35 contacts the bottom 1 of the container body 10, preventing excessive downward displacement of the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100. In addition, the enlarged portion 35d contacts the body 2 from the inside, reinforcing the body 2. Therefore, buckling of the body 2 due to a large vertical load acting on the thin-walled container body 10 can be effectively suppressed.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the enlarged diameter portion 35d is configured to be connected to the lower end of the cylindrical portion 35t and integrally formed with the cylindrical portion 35t. By adopting this configuration, there is no need to provide a dedicated member for reinforcing the body portion 2 of the container body 10, thus reducing the component costs and manufacturing costs of the thin-walled container dispensing device 100.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the enlarged diameter portion 35d has a hinge portion 35a extending in the circumferential direction, and is configured to enlarge by bending the hinge portion 35a so that it protrudes radially outward. By adopting this configuration, the enlarged diameter portion 35d can be integrally formed with a relatively simple structure, by providing the hinge portion 35a and the notch 35c in the suction pipe 35.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the retaining portion (retaining ring 50) is configured to engage with the container body 10 when the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 is attached to the container body 10. By adopting this configuration, the diameter of the expanding portion 35d can be switched between expanding and contracting by engaging/disengaging the retaining ring 50 from the opening 3 of the container body 10. Therefore, the diameter of the expanding portion 35d can be automatically switched between expanding and contracting in sync with the insertion of the thin-walled container dispensing tool 100 into the container body 10 and its removal from the container body 10.

Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a dispensing tool 200 for thin-walled containers, will be described using Figures 9 to 13B. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment in configuration, except for differences in the shape of the holding portion and the shape of the enlarged diameter portion. Therefore, this description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, a flange portion 32 extending radially outward is integrally formed on the upper part of the pump body 31, similar to the first embodiment. The pump unit 30 is fixed to the mouth 3 of the container body 10 by sandwiching the flange portion 32 and the packing 33 located on the lower surface of the flange portion 32 between the top wall 23 of the mounting cap 20 and the upper end surface of the mouth 3 of the container body 10.

The suction pipe 35 is fitted and fixed to the inner surface of the mounting cylinder portion 34 provided at the lower part of the pump body 31. In this embodiment, the suction pipe 35 is equipped with a first hinge 35a1 and a second hinge 35a2 arranged vertically at a height below the central height, as shown in Figure 9. The upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 (enlarged diameter portion) and the intermediate portion 35e are connected by the first hinge 35a1 (hinge portion), and the intermediate portion 35e and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 (enlarged diameter portion) are connected by the second hinge 35a2 (hinge portion). As shown in Figure 9, the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 enlarge radially outward by bending the first hinge 35a1 and the second hinge 35a2 so that they protrude outward.

In this embodiment, the enlarged diameter section and the hinge section are arranged at four circumferential locations at 90-degree intervals, similar to the first embodiment. From the intermediate section 35e connecting the upper enlarged diameter section 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter section 35d2, which enlarge in the front-to-back direction (left-to-right direction in Figure 9), flat retaining arms 35f and 35g extend radially inward. Engaging projections 35f1 and 35g1, respectively, are formed at the inner ends of the retaining arms 35f and 35g, allowing for mutual undercut engagement. As will be described later, when removing the suction pipe 35 of the thin-walled container dispensing tool 200 from the container body 10 during refilling, the retaining arms 35f and 35g engage with each other through undercut engagement, maintaining the outer diameter of the enlarged diameter section reduced to less than or equal to the inner diameter of the mouth 3. In other words, the retaining arms 35f and 35g function as retaining parts that maintain the outer diameter of the enlarged diameter section at or below the inner diameter of the mouth 3 of the container body 10.

In this embodiment, the intermediate section 35e connecting the upper diameter-expanding section 35d1 and the lower diameter-expanding section 35d2, which expand in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 9, does not have retaining arms 35f and 35g. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the retaining ring 50, as in the first embodiment, is not provided.

In this embodiment as well, the suction pipe 35 is formed of an elastic material such as synthetic resin, and is bendable at the upper end of the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower end of the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2. The first hinge 35a1 and the second hinge 35a2 are thinned by concave inward in the radial direction on their outer surfaces, and are bendable so that the first hinge 35a1 and the second hinge 35a2 protrude radially outward. In this embodiment, by arranging two hinges, the first hinge 35a1 and the second hinge 35a2, in the longitudinal direction of the enlarged diameter portion, excessive stress can be prevented from being applied to the bent portion.

On the other hand, when the upper enlarged portion 35d1 and lower enlarged portion 35d2 of the suction pipe 35 are not enlarged radially outward, the vertical distance between the lower surface of the packing 33 of the thin-walled container dispensing device 200 and the lower surface of the lower end flange 35b of the suction pipe 35 is greater than the distance between the upper end surface of the mouth portion 3 of the container body 10 and the upper surface of the bottom portion 1.

With this configuration, when attaching the thin-walled container dispensing tool 200 to the container body 10, the lower end flange 35b of the suction pipe 35 reaches the bottom 1 of the container body 10 before the attachment cap 20 is attached to the opening 3. Then, when the thin-walled container dispensing tool 200 is pushed downwards until the attachment cap 20 can be attached to the opening 3, as shown in Figure 9, the engagement protrusions 35f1 and 35g1 of the holding arms 35f and 35g disengage, and the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 expand radially outward until the intermediate portion 35e enters and contacts the annular projection 2a of the body portion 2.

In this embodiment, compared to the first embodiment, the intermediate portion 35e that abuts against the body portion 2 has length in the vertical direction, so that concentrated stress is less likely to occur at the contact point when the intermediate portion 35e abuts against the body portion 2.

In this embodiment, the intermediate portion 35e is configured to abut against the body portion 2 to suppress bending of the body portion 2, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The upper enlarged portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged portion 35d2 may be configured to enlarge radially outward until the intermediate portion 35e approaches the body portion 2, and then abut against the intermediate portion 35e, etc., when the body portion 2 begins to bend.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, with the thin-walled container dispensing device 200 attached to the container body 10, the lower end flange 35b of the suction pipe 35 enters the liquid reservoir 1a and is positioned radially. This configuration prevents the suction pipe 35 from shifting radially relative to the container body 10, thus more reliably reinforcing the container body 10 and making it less susceptible to buckling.

When refilling the contents of the container body 10 fitted with the thin-walled container dispensing tool 200 shown in Figure 9, the mounting cap 20 is rotated counterclockwise in a plan view, as shown in Figure 10, to release the screw engagement between the mounting cap 20 and the mouth portion 3 of the container body 10. Then, when the thin-walled container dispensing tool 200 is pulled upward, the first hinge 35a1 and the second hinge 35a2 elastically deform (bend) due to the upward pressure, causing the upper enlarged portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged portion 35d2, which had expanded radially outward, to return to their original shape due to the restoring force. That is, the elastic deformation of the first hinge 35a1 and the second hinge 35a2 decreases, and the upper enlarged portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged portion 35d2 move radially inward. Consequently, the intermediate portion 35e also moves radially inward, separating from the annular projection 2a of the body portion 2.

When the thin-walled container dispensing tool 200 is further pulled upward from the state shown in Figure 10, the portion of the upper enlarged diameter section 35d1 radially outward from its longitudinal center comes into contact with the corner portion 7a formed on the upper part of the shoulder portion 7 of the container body 10 and protruding inward from the container body 10, causing it to be pressed radially inward and thus shrink in diameter. The upper enlarged diameter section 35d1 then shrinks to a width that allows it to enter the inside of the mouth periphery wall 3a of the mouth portion 3, as shown in Figure 11.

At this time, the engaging projections 35f1 and 35g1 of the holding arms 35f and 35g approach each other and engage in an undercut configuration (see Figure 11). This engagement of the engaging projections 35f1 and 35g1 allows the upper enlarged portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged portion 35d2 to maintain a reduced diameter state that allows them to pass through the inside of the mouth circumferential wall 3a.

In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the lower end flange 35b of the suction pipe 35 is less than the inner diameter of the opening 3. Therefore, in Figure 12, the upper enlarged portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged portion 35d2, which are reduced in diameter to fit within the lower end flange 35b and the opening periphery wall 3a by the upward pulling of the thin-walled container dispensing tool 200, pass through the inside of the opening 3 and are removed to the outside.

After removing the thin-walled container dispensing device 200 from the container body 10, the user refills the container body 10 with its contents and then reattaches the thin-walled container dispensing device 200 to the container body 10. As shown in Figure 11, the upper and lower enlarged diameter portions 35d1 and 35d2 of the suction pipe 35 are reduced in diameter so that they fit within the mouth perimeter wall 3a, allowing them to easily pass inside the mouth 3 and re-enter the storage space M of the container body 10.

After the upper enlarged portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged portion 35d2 pass downward inside the opening 3, the lower end flange 35b comes into contact with the liquid reservoir portion 1a (see Figure 10). This contact of the lower end flange 35b with the liquid reservoir portion 1a causes the first hinge 35a1 and the second hinge 35a2 to bend outward, and the upper enlarged portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged portion 35d2 expand radially outward. This expansion of the upper enlarged portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged portion 35d2 causes a force to act in a direction that separates the holding arms 35f and 35g, so that the undercut engagement between the engaging projections 35f1 and 35g1 is released (see Figure 10). Upon disengaging the engaging projections 35f1 and 35g1, the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 expand radially outward until the intermediate portion 35e re-enters and contacts the annular projection 2a of the body portion 2 (see Figure 9).

Next, a modified example of the thin-walled container dispensing device 200 according to this embodiment will be described using Figures 13A and 13B. This modified example is similar to the second embodiment, except for the different shapes of the holding arms 35f and 35g extending from the intermediate section 35e. Therefore, the differences from the second embodiment will be the main points of explanation.

In this modified example, as shown in Figures 13A and 13B, the retaining arm 35f has a substantially cylindrical shape, and a through hole 35f2 is formed inside the retaining arm 35f, passing through the intermediate portion 35e. An annular engaging projection 35f1 is provided at the tip of the retaining arm 35f. The retaining arm 35g has a solid, substantially cylindrical shape, and an annular engaging projection 35g1 is provided at its tip. Similar to the second embodiment, the engaging projections 35f1 and 35g1 engage with each other through undercut engagement, allowing the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 to maintain a reduced diameter state, enabling them to pass inside the circumferential wall 3a of the opening.

In this modified example, by making the holding arms 35f and 35g cylindrical and columnar, respectively, when the engaging projections 35f1 and 35g1 engage with each other in an undercut manner, positional displacement can be reduced not only in the vertical direction as shown in Figures 13A and 13B, but also in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper. Therefore, the reduced diameter state can be maintained so that the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 can pass more accurately inside the opening portion 3.

As described above, in this embodiment, the holding portion (holding arms 35f and 35g) is configured to have a pair of engaging portions (engaging projections 35f1 and 35g1) that maintain the outer diameter of the enlarged portion (upper enlarged portion 35d1 and lower enlarged portion 35d2) at or below the inner diameter of the mouth portion 3 of the container body 10. By adopting this configuration, the holding portion can be integrally formed with the suction pipe 35 without the need for a separate component such as a holding ring 50, thereby maintaining a reduced diameter state that allows the enlarged portion to pass inside the mouth portion circumferential wall 3a. Therefore, the component and assembly costs of the thin-walled container dispensing device 200 can be reduced.

Figure 14 shows the mounting cap 20, pump unit 30, nozzle head 40, and retaining ring 50, which constitute a third embodiment of the thin-walled container dispensing device 300 according to this disclosure. The thin-walled container dispensing device 300, by pressing the nozzle head 40, pumps the contents of the container body 10 (formed as a thin-walled container as shown in Figure 14, etc.) upwards, and discharges them to the outside through the nozzle hole 43a via the nozzle 43.

Furthermore, the thin-walled container dispensing device 300 of this embodiment is similar in configuration to that of the first embodiment, except for a difference in the configuration of the suction pipe 35. Therefore, this explanation will focus on the differences from the first embodiment.

The suction pipe 35 is fitted and fixed to the inner surface of the mounting cylinder portion 34 provided at the lower part of the pump body 31. In this embodiment, the suction pipe 35 comprises a cylindrical member 135t that fits into the mounting cylinder portion 34 and hangs down toward the bottom 1 of the container body 10, and an enlarged diameter member 135k that is formed separately from the cylindrical member 135t, attached to the lower part of the cylindrical member 135t, and has an enlarged diameter portion 35d.

As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the diameter-expanding member 135k comprises a bottomed cylindrical fitting section 35m into which the lower end of the cylindrical member 135t fits, an upper diameter-expanding section 35d1 and a lower diameter-expanding section 35d2 extending downward from the lower end of the fitting section 35m, a cylindrical contact section 35d3 further extending from the lower end of the lower diameter-expanding section 35d2, and an extension section 35j extending downward from the edge of the cylindrical opening 35m2 provided at the bottom 35m1 of the fitting section 35m, with a suction opening 35j1 formed at its lower end, located radially inside the upper diameter-expanding section 35d1 and the lower diameter-expanding section 35d2 (diameter-expanding section 35d).

The upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1, the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2, and the contact cylinder portion 35d3, which are located below the fitting cylinder portion 35m, are connected to each other by a hinge portion 35a and a side hinge 35h, as shown in Figure 16. The upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 are connected via the hinge portion 35a in a vertically aligned line. Furthermore, the upper end of the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 is connected to the lower end of the peripheral wall of the mounting cylinder portion 35m via the side hinge 35h. Similarly, the lower end of the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 is connected to the contact cylinder portion 35d3 via the side hinge 35h.

The upper enlarged diameter section 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter section 35d2 shown in Figure 16 are divided into eight sections in the circumferential direction and are provided at approximately equal intervals with predetermined gaps between them. With this configuration, the upper enlarged diameter section 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter section 35d2 can be expanded radially outward at eight locations in the circumferential direction by bending the hinge section 35a outward, as shown in Figure 14. The enlarged diameter member 135k is made of an elastic material such as synthetic resin, and the upper end of the upper enlarged diameter section 35d1 and the lower end of the lower enlarged diameter section 35d2 are also bendable by the side hinges 35h. As shown in Figure 16, the hinge section 35a is thinned by concave inward in the radial direction on the outside, and is bendable so that the hinge section 35a protrudes radially outward when the upper enlarged diameter section 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter section 35d2 expand radially outward. The side hinge 35h is also thinned by concavely recessing its outer surface radially inward. This allows the concave side of the side hinge 35h (the outer side in Figure 16) to bend at an acute angle when the upper and lower enlarged diameter sections 35d1 and 35d2 expand radially outward.

In the state shown in Figure 16, where the upper and lower enlarged diameter portions 35d1 and 35d2 (enlarged diameter portion 35d) of the suction pipe 35 are not enlarged radially outward, the vertical distance between the lower surface of the packing 33 (see Figure 4B, etc.) of the thin-walled container dispensing device 300 and the lower surface of the contact cylinder portion 35d3 of the suction pipe 35 is greater than the distance between the upper end surface of the mouth portion 3 of the container body 10 and the upper surface of the bottom portion 1.

With this configuration, when attaching the thin-walled container dispensing tool 300 to the container body 10, the contact cylindrical portion 35d3 of the suction pipe 35 reaches the bottom 1 of the container body 10 before the attachment cap 20 is attached to the opening 3. Then, when the thin-walled container dispensing tool 300 is pushed downwards until the attachment cap 20 can be attached to the opening 3, the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 expand radially outward until the hinge portion 35a contacts the body portion 2 of the container body 10. In the example shown in Figure 14, the hinge portion 35a enters from the inside and is held in contact with the annular projection 2a provided on the lower part of the body portion 2.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, when the thin-walled container dispensing device 300 is attached to the container body 10, the lower end of the extension cylinder portion 35j is positioned slightly above the upper surface of the liquid reservoir portion 1a at the bottom 1 of the container body 10. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, two notches 35d3c are provided on the lower surface of the contact cylinder portion 35d3 in the circumferential direction. With this configuration, the contents of the storage space M of the container body 10 move radially inward through the notches 35d3c and are sucked into the pump portion 30 through the suction opening 35j1.

In this embodiment, the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 are formed above the suction opening 35j1 of the suction pipe 35. That is, the suction opening 35j1 of the suction pipe 35 hangs down from the pump portion 30 and extends further downward beyond the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2. In the first embodiment, because the contents were sucked through the notch 35c between the enlarged diameter portions 35d, there was a tendency for contents to remain at the bottom 1 of the container body 10. In this embodiment, by bringing the suction opening 35j1 of the extension tube portion 35j closer to the liquid reservoir portion 1a at the bottom 1, the amount of remaining contents in the storage space M through the suction opening 35j1 can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the hinge portion 35a is configured to abut against the body portion 2, thereby suppressing the body portion 2 from bending radially inward. However, the embodiment is not limited to this configuration. The upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 may be configured to enlarge radially outward until the hinge portion 35a approaches the body portion 2, and then abut against the hinge portion 35a, etc., when the body portion 2 begins to bend.

The suction pipe 35 is configured such that its upper end is fitted and fixed to the inner surface of the mounting cylinder portion 34 provided at the lower part of the pump body 31. However, this configuration is not limited to this example; for instance, the outer cylinder portion of the pump body 31 and the cylindrical member 135t of the suction pipe 35 may be integrally formed.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, with the thin-walled container dispensing device 300 attached to the container body 10, the contact cylinder portion 15d3 of the suction pipe 35 enters the liquid reservoir portion 1a and is positioned radially. This configuration prevents the suction pipe 35 from shifting radially relative to the container body 10, thus more reliably reinforcing the container body 10 and making it less susceptible to buckling.

When refilling the contents of the container body 10 fitted with the thin-walled container dispensing tool 300 shown in Figure 14, the mounting cap 20 is rotated counterclockwise in a plan view to release the screw engagement between the mounting cap 20 and the mouth portion 3 of the container body 10. Then, when the thin-walled container dispensing tool 300 is pulled upward, the upper enlarged portion 35d1 and lower enlarged portion 35d2, which had expanded radially outward due to the elastic deformation (bending) of the hinge portion 35a and side hinge 35h caused by the upward pressure, return to their original shape due to the restoring force. That is, the elastic deformation of the hinge portion 35a and side hinge 35h decreases, and the upper enlarged portion 35d1 and lower enlarged portion 35d2 move radially inward. Consequently, the hinge portion 35a also moves radially inward, separating from the annular projection 2a.

When the thin-walled container dispensing tool 300 is pulled upward while the upper and lower enlarged diameter sections 35d1 and 35d2 have moved radially inward, the upper end of the upper enlarged diameter section 35d1 passes through the lower end ring 59 (see Figure 3) of the retaining ring 50 and enters the inside of the peripheral wall 51. Further upward movement of the thin-walled container dispensing tool 300 causes the outer surface of the upper enlarged diameter section 35d1 to contact the inner surface of the lower end ring 59, pressing it radially inward and further reducing its diameter radially inward. As shown in Figure 16, the upper and lower enlarged diameter sections 35d1 and 35d2 reduce in diameter to a width that allows them to enter the inside of the peripheral wall 51 of the retaining ring 50.

In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the flange 35d4 of the suction pipe 35 is greater than the inner diameter of the lower end ring 59 of the retaining ring 50 and less than the inner diameter of the opening 3. Therefore, in Figure 16, when the upper surface of the flange 35d4 contacts the lower surface of the lower end ring 59 due to further upward pulling of the thin-walled container dispensing tool 300, the suction pipe 35 lifts the retaining ring 50 upward. This lifting of the retaining ring 50 by the suction pipe 35 disengages the seal cylinder 55 from the inner surface of the opening periphery wall 3a, and the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 are reduced in diameter to fit within the retaining ring 50 and are removed from the opening 3 to the outside (see Figure 17).

After removing the thin-walled container dispensing tool 300 from the container body 10, the user refills the container body 10 with its contents and then reattaches the thin-walled container dispensing tool 300 to the container body 10. As shown in Figure 17, the upper and lower enlarged diameter sections 35d1 and 35d2 of the suction pipe 35 are reduced in diameter so that they fit within the retaining ring 50, allowing them to easily pass through the inside of the opening 3 and re-enter the storage space M of the container body 10 (see Figure 16).

As the retaining ring 50 passes downwards through the inside of the opening 3, the sealing cylinder 55 of the retaining ring 50 fits again against the inner surface of the opening's peripheral wall 3a (see Figure 16). Further descent of the thin-walled container dispensing tool 300 causes the contact cylinder 35d3 to contact the liquid reservoir 1a (see Figure 14), and the upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and the lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2 expand radially outwards again (see Figure 14).

As described above, in this embodiment, the suction pipe 35 has a cylindrical member 135t and an enlarged diameter member 135k that is formed separately from the cylindrical member 135t and attached to the lower part of the cylindrical member 135t, and has an enlarged diameter portion 35d. The enlarged diameter portion 35d is configured to be formed above the suction opening 35j1 provided at the lower part of the suction pipe 35. By adopting this configuration, the suction opening 35j1 of the suction pipe 35 can be positioned close to the bottom 1, so that the amount of remaining contents in the containment space M can be reduced by sucking the contents through the suction opening 35j1.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the diameter-expanding member 135k is configured to have an extended cylindrical portion 35j that extends downward from the lower part of the cylindrical member 135t, radially inside the expanded portion 35d, and has a suction opening 35j1 formed at its lower end. By adopting this configuration, the suction opening 35j1 of the suction pipe 35 can be positioned close to the liquid reservoir portion 1a in the center of the bottom 1 of the container body 10, thereby further reducing the amount of remaining contents in the storage space M.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a contact cylinder portion 35d3 is formed at the lower part of the diameter-expanding member 135k, which can abut against the bottom 1 of the container body 10. A notch 35d3c is provided in the side wall of the contact cylinder portion 35d3 to allow the contents to pass radially. By adopting this configuration, a flow path is secured for the contents toward the suction opening 35j1 of the suction pipe 35, making it easier to suction the contents from the containment space M through the suction opening 35j1 and reducing the amount of remaining contents.

In this embodiment, the suction pipe 35 and the holding portion (holding ring 50) are constructed as separate parts, but the embodiment is not limited to this. Similar to the second embodiment, the holding portion (holding arms 35f, 35g) may be integrally formed with the enlarged diameter portion 35d (upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2) (see Figures 10 and 13B). That is, the holding portion (holding arms 35f, 35g) may be configured to have a pair of engaging portions (engaging projections 35f1, 35g1) that maintain the outer diameter of the enlarged diameter portion 35d (upper enlarged diameter portion 35d1 and lower enlarged diameter portion 35d2) at or below the inner diameter of the opening 3 of the container body 10.

While this disclosure has been described based on various drawings and embodiments, it should be noted that those skilled in the art will find it easy to make various modifications and alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each component can be rearranged in a logically consistent manner, and multiple components can be combined into one or separated. These are also to be understood as being included within the scope of the present invention.

For example, in the first and second embodiments, the enlarged diameter portion was configured to have a substantially arc-shaped cross-section obtained by dividing the cylindrical shape into four sections in the circumferential direction, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The enlarged diameter portion may also be configured to have, for example, a flat plate-shaped cross-section.

Furthermore, while the first and second embodiments configured the enlarged diameter portion to have one or two hinge sections at approximately the center height, the embodiment is not limited to this. A single enlarged diameter portion may have three or more hinge sections. Additionally, hinge sections may be provided at least one of the upper and lower ends of the enlarged diameter portion to allow it to expand with less force.

Furthermore, while the first and third embodiments show a configuration in which a notch 52 is provided in the peripheral wall 51 of the retaining ring 50, the configuration is not limited to this, and a configuration without a notch 52 is also possible.

Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments, the lower wall 5b of the constricted portion 5 and the outer wall portion 1c of the bottom portion 1 are connected at the lower end by an annular folded portion 4 having a hollow section, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The folded portion 4 may be composed of, for example, a hinge portion having a thin-walled section.

According to this disclosure, it is possible to propose thin-walled container dispensing devices 100, 200, and 300 that reduce the amount of resin used by utilizing thin-walled containers, thereby reducing environmental impact, while also facilitating the replacement of dispensing devices and refilling of contents.

1 Bottom section 1a Liquid reservoir section 1b Inner wall section 1c Outer wall section 2 Body section 2a Annular projection section 3 Mouth section 3a Mouth periphery wall 3b Male thread section 3e Bottleneck 4 Folded section 5 Constricted section 5a Upper wall 5b Lower wall 5r Reinforcement rib 6 Bent section 7 Shoulder section 7a Corner section 9 Self-supporting legs 10 Container body 20 Mounting cap 21 Outer wall 21a Female thread section 23 Top wall 23a Through hole 30 Pump section 31 Pump body 32 Flange section 33 Packing 34 Mounting cylinder section 35 Suction pipe 35a Hinge section 35a1 First hinge (hinge section)
35a2 Second hinge (hinge section)
35b Lower flange (lower end)
35c Notch 35d Enlarged diameter section 35d1 Upper enlarged diameter section (enlarged diameter section)
35d2 Lower expanded diameter part (expanded diameter part)
35d3 Contact cylinder portion 35d3c Notch portion 35d4 Flange portion 35e Intermediate portion 35f, 35g Retaining arm (retaining portion)
35f1, 35g1 Engagement protrusion (engagement part)
35f2 Through hole 35h Side hinge 35j Extension tube section 35j1 Suction opening 35m Mounting tube section 35m1 Bottom section 35m2 Tube section opening 35t Cylindrical section 36 Engaging male thread 37 Stem 40 Nozzle head 41 Pressing section 43 Nozzle 43a Nozzle hole 45 Mounting tube section 47 Engaging tube section 47a Engaging female thread 50 Retaining ring (retaining section)
51 Peripheral wall 53, 53a Retaining flange 55 Seal cylinder 57 Diameter expanding ring 58 Outer peripheral wall 58a, 58b Annular projection 59 Lower end ring 100, 101, 200, 300 Discharge tool for thin-walled container 135k Diameter expanding member 135t Cylindrical member M Housing space O Central axis

Claims (8)

A pump unit having an upwardly biased stem, which pumps the contents contained in the container body, which is a thin-walled container, upward by the downward movement of the stem,
A dispensing device for thin-walled containers, comprising a nozzle head attached to the upper end of the stem, which operates the pump section by pressing to discharge the contents from the nozzle,
The pump section has a suction pipe that hangs down so as to be able to contact the bottom of the container body and sucks up the contents.
The suction pipe has an expanded diameter portion where the lower end of the suction pipe abuts against the bottom of the container body, causing it to expand radially outward.
The enlarged portion has a hinge portion extending in the circumferential direction, and by bending the hinge portion so that it protrudes radially outward , it can enlarge in diameter and come into contact with the body of the container .
The dispensing device for thin-walled containers is characterized by having a holding portion that maintains the outer diameter of the enlarged portion to be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the mouth of the container body. The suction pipe comprises a cylindrical member and a diameter-expanding member formed separately from the cylindrical member and attached to the lower part of the cylindrical member, which has the diameter-expanding portion.
The discharge device for thin-walled containers according to claim 1, wherein the enlarged diameter portion is formed above the suction opening provided at the lower part of the suction pipe. The discharge device for thin-walled containers according to claim 2, wherein the diameter-expanding member extends downward from the lower part of the cylindrical member, radially inward from the inside of the diameter-expanding portion, and has an extension cylindrical portion with the suction opening formed at its lower end. The dispensing device for thin-walled containers according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a contact cylinder portion is formed at the lower part of the diameter-expanding member, which can contact the bottom of the container body, and a notch portion is provided in the side wall of the contact cylinder portion to allow the contents to pass through radially. The enlarged diameter portion is connected to the lower end of the cylindrical portion and integrally formed with the cylindrical portion, as described in claim 1. The holding portion engages with the container body when the thin-walled container dispensing device is attached to the container body, as described in any one of claims 1 to 5. The holding portion has a pair of engaging portions that hold the outer diameter of the enlarged portion to be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the mouth of the container body, as described in any one of claims 1 to 5. A pump unit having an upwardly biased stem, which pumps the contents contained in the container body, which is a thin-walled container, upward by the downward movement of the stem,
A dispensing device for thin-walled containers comprising a nozzle head attached to the upper end of the stem, which operates the pump section by pressing down to discharge the contents from the nozzle,
A thin-walled container with a dispensing device, comprising the container body with the aforementioned dispensing device for thin-walled containers attached to its opening,
The pump section has a suction pipe that hangs down so as to be able to contact the bottom of the container body and sucks up the contents.
The suction pipe has an expanded diameter portion where the lower end of the suction pipe abuts against the bottom of the container body, causing it to expand radially outward.
The enlarged portion has a hinge portion extending in the circumferential direction, and by bending the hinge portion so that it protrudes radially outward , it can enlarge in diameter and come into contact with the body of the container .
The thin-walled container with a dispensing device is characterized by having a holding portion that maintains the outer diameter of the enlarged portion to be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the mouth of the container body.