WO2023149022A1 - Spring, pump using same, and spray container - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a pump that makes it possible to efficiently push up a cylinder with a spring made of resin.　Provided is a pump comprising a spring which includes: first and second ring-shaped members that are disposed opposite each other; and two or more flexible columnar members. The first and second ring members and the two or more columnar members are each made of resin. In the circumferential direction of the first and second ring-shaped members, the columnar members are bent so as to follow the circumferential direction and are inclined with respect to the axial direction of the first and second ring-shaped members. The two ends of the columnar members are respectively fixed to the first and second ring-shaped members. The angle, in the circumferential direction of the first and second ring-shaped members, from a first fixing position, at which one end of a columnar member and the first ring-shaped member are fixed, to a second fixing position, at which the other end of the columnar member and the second ring-shaped member are fixed, is less than 2π.

Description

SPRINGS, PUMP USING THE SAME, AND EJECTION CONTAINERS

The present invention relates to a pump that is attached to an opening of a container and that ejects the liquid in the container, and more particularly to a pump that has a structure in which the spring that constitutes the pump does not come into contact with the contents.

　The pump that is attached to the opening of the container and ejects the liquid in the container is generally made of resin, but metal materials are used for ball valves and springs. Depending on the components of the liquid to be ejected, the liquid reacts with the metal parts and changes in quality. In such a case, it is necessary to change the composition of the liquid to one that does not react with the metal parts, forcing the manufacturer into inconvenience.

Patent Document 1 proposes a pump that is devised so that metal parts are not arranged in the liquid passage. This pump is a drug dispenser and is usually located inside a cylinder with a spring outside the cylinder and piston that pushes up the piston. In addition, in order to block the inflow of dust, foreign matter, and bacteria from the outside during the process of discharging the medicine, the medicine dispenser has the upper end of the piston as a separate member from the lower part of the piston. A second spring is arranged between the As a result, when the medicine is not ejected from the ejection port, the second spring pushes up the upper end member of the piston to block the ejection port.

JP 2014-193338 A

By arranging the spring outside the cylinder as in Patent Document 1, the phenomenon that the spring is corroded by the chemical in the cylinder can be avoided. However, if the pump is used in an environment with high humidity outside air or an environment containing volatile chemicals, the spring will corrode even if it is arranged outside the cylinder.

Also, if all parts of the pump, including the spring, can be made of the same resin (eg, polypropylene) without using metal, the recycling efficiency can be improved and the environmental load can be reduced. Therefore, resin springs are desired.

On the other hand, the spring that pushes up the piston needs to push up the piston with a predetermined restoring force in order to suck up the liquid into the cylinder. In order to generate this restoring force, it is necessary to use a spring having a spring constant equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and it is necessary to use a spring having a relatively long natural length.

As disclosed in FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1, the coil-shaped spring arranged outside the cylinder and on the outer circumference of the piston portion has a larger diameter than the spring arranged inside the cylinder, and the spring length is It is long and there is no cylinder to guide the outer circumference of the spring. Therefore, when compressed, the spring tends to deform and expand outward, and the force tends to disperse in directions other than the vertical direction. In addition, the spring is likely to come off from the connecting portion with the piston during the assembly process of the pump during manufacturing.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pump that can efficiently push up a cylinder with a resin spring.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pump equipped with a spring including first and second ring-shaped members facing each other and two or more flexible column-shaped members. be. Both the first and second ring members and the two or more columnar members are made of resin. The columnar member is curved along the circumferential direction of the first and second ring-shaped members and inclined with respect to the axial direction of the first and second ring-shaped members. Both ends are fixed to the first and second ring-shaped members, respectively. From a first fixing position where one end of the columnar member and the first ring-shaped member are fixed to a second fixing position where the other end of the columnar member and the second ring-shaped member are fixed, the first and the angle in the circumferential direction of the second ring-shaped member is smaller than 2π.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pump that can efficiently push up a cylinder with a resin spring.

(a) Cross-sectional view of the ejection container 1 of the embodiment at rest, (b) Cross-sectional view at the time of operation. (a) A side view of the spring 40 of the embodiment, (b) a cross-sectional view of the nozzle 22, and (c) a cross-sectional view of the pump with the spring 40 and the nozzle 22 removed. (a) to (f) six-sided views and (g) a perspective view of the spring 40 of the embodiment. (a) to (f) six-sided views and (g) a perspective view of a spring 40 of Modification 1. FIG. (a) to (f) six-sided views and (g) a perspective view of a spring 40 of Modified Example 2-1. (a) to (f) six-sided views and (g) perspective view of a spring 40 of modification 2-2. (a) to (f) six-sided views and (g) perspective view of a spring 40 of Modified Example 3-1. (a) to (f) six-sided views and (g) perspective view of a spring 40 of Modified Example 3-2. (a) to (f) six-sided views and (g) a perspective view of a spring 40 of Modified Example 4. FIG. (a) to (f) six-sided views and (g) a perspective view of a spring 40 of Modified Example 5. FIG. (a) to (f) six-sided views and (g) a perspective view of a spring 40 of Modification 6. FIG.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

<<<Embodiment>>>
1(a) and 1(b) are cross-sectional views of the entire ejection container 1 of the embodiment, and FIG. 2(b) is a sectional view of the nozzle 22, and FIG. 2(c) is a sectional view of the pump 2 with the nozzle 22 and the spring 40 removed.

<<Overall Configuration of Ejection Container 1>>
As shown in FIG. 1, the ejection container 1 comprises a container 10 having an opening 11 and a pump 2 for ejecting the contents of the container 10 .

The pump 2 comprises a cylinder 30, a piston 20, a cylinder bush 31, and a nozzle 22, as shown in FIG. 2(c). The cylinder 30 has an opening at the top, and the lower end of the piston 20 is inserted into the opening of the cylinder 30 . The piston includes a lower piston 20a, a piston outer cylinder 20b covering the upper part of the lower piston 20a, and a piston valve 20c fixed to the lower part of the piston outer cylinder 20b.

An annular cylinder bush covers the space around the piston 20 at the opening of the cylinder 30 .

The nozzle 22 is attached to the upper end of the piston outer cylinder 20b of the piston 20.

A cylinder 70 that forms an annular space around the piston 20 is mounted on the upper portion of the annular cylinder bushing 31 . A spring 40 is arranged in the cylinder 70 to bias the nozzle 22 upward. That is, the piston 20 penetrates the central space of the spring 40 . A plurality of springs 40 may be stacked as shown in FIGS. 1(a), (b) and 2(a), or only one as shown in FIG. 2(a).

<<Spring 40>>
A structure of the spring 40 will be described with reference to FIG.

3(a) to (f) are six views of the spring 40, and FIG. 3(g) is a perspective view of the spring 40. FIG.

The spring 40 includes first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42 and two flexible columnar members 43 and 44 that are arranged to face each other. Both the first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42 and the two columnar members 43 and 44 are made of resin.

In the circumferential direction of the first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42, the columnar members 43 and 44 are curved along the circumferential direction and inclined in the axial direction of the first and second ring-shaped members. , and both ends of the columnar members 43 and 44 are fixed to the first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42, respectively.

A fixed position between one end (upper end) of the columnar member 43 and the first ring-shaped member 41 is called a first fixed position 43a. A fixing position between the other end (lower end) of the columnar member 43 and the second ring-shaped member 42 is called a second fixing position 43b. The circumferential angle of the first and second ring-shaped members from the first fixing position 43a to the second fixing position 43b is smaller than 2π. For the spring 40 of FIGS. 3(a)-(g), the angle is approximately 200 degrees.

Similarly, the position where one end (upper end) of the columnar member 44 is fixed to the first ring-shaped member 41 is called a first fixed position 44a, and the other end (lower end) of the columnar member 44 and the second ring-shaped member 42 is called a second fixed position 44b. The angle in the circumferential direction of the first and second ring-shaped members from the first fixing position 44a to the second fixing position 44b is smaller than 2π, and in the case of the spring 40 of FIGS. The angle is approximately 200 degrees.

One ends of the two columnar members 43 and 44 are fixed to the first ring-shaped member at regular intervals, and the other ends are fixed to the second ring-shaped member at regular intervals.

When no force is applied to the first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42, the distance between the first ring-shaped member 41 and the second ring-shaped member 42 is equal to that of the first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42. , 42 is preferably less than or equal to 1.5 times the diameter.

As shown in FIG. 1( a ), the lower surface of the second ring-shaped member 42 of the spring 40 is arranged inside the cylinder 70 so as to be in contact with the upper surface of the annular cylinder bushing 31 . Also, the number of stacked springs 40 or the height of the pump 2 is designed so that the upper surface of the first ring-shaped member 41 of the spring 40 is in contact with part of the nozzle 22 attached to the upper end of the piston 20. It is

In order to stably stack the springs 40, the axial outer surfaces of the first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42 (that is, the upper surface of the first ring-shaped member 41 and the second ring-shaped member 42) is preferably flat. However, in the spring 40 of this embodiment, the axial outer surfaces of the first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42 are not limited to flat surfaces. When the plurality of springs 40 are stacked, the axial outer surfaces of the first ring-shaped member 41 and the second ring-shaped member 42 that contact each other (that is, the upper surface of the first ring-shaped member 41 and the second ring-shaped member 42 At least one of the upper surface of the first ring-shaped member 41 and the lower surface of the second ring-shaped member 42 may be provided with a fitting portion such as unevenness for fitting the lower surface of the ring-shaped member 42 .

Accordingly, when the nozzle 22 is pushed down by the user as shown in FIG. 1(b), the spring 40 is compressed by the nozzle 22 while the pump 2 is operating. When the user releases the nozzle 22, the restoring force of the spring 40 pushes the nozzle 22 back to its original position.

As described above, the spring 40 of this embodiment is made of resin, and the columnar members 43 and 44 are curved so that the angle along the circumferential direction of the ring-shaped member 41 is smaller than 2π. can also be shortened in axial length (i.e., reduced in height).

When a general coil spring is used, the height of the pump 2 is determined by the length of the spring, but when the short spring 40 of this embodiment is used, the height of the pump 2 can be reduced. It is possible. Therefore, the degree of freedom in designing the height of the pump 2 is increased.

Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 1(a), (b) and 2(a), the spring 40 of the present embodiment is provided with ring-shaped members 41 and 42 at the upper end and the lower end. can be used. By varying the number of springs stacked in the pump 2 , pumps 2 of different heights can be assembled using the same springs 40 .

In addition, since the spring 40 has ring-shaped members 41 and 42 at its upper and lower ends, the columnar members 43 and 44 are less likely to expand outward even when compressed. Therefore, it is difficult to disperse the force of compression or extension in the radial direction, and it can be converted into displacement in the axial direction.

Specifically, even if two columnar members 43 and 44 are arranged and the force applied to the ring-shaped members 41 and 42 is not uniform in the circumferential direction, the ring-shaped members 41 and 42 are deformed into an ellipse. Since the columnar members 43 and 44 are supported in this way, it is possible to prevent the columnar members 43 and 44 from being deformed so as to swell outward.

Moreover, even if the ring-shaped members 41 and 42 are deformed into an elliptical shape, the outer and inner diameters of the ring-shaped members 41 and 42 and the material of the resin are adjusted so that they do not touch the piston 20 penetrating the spring 40. design it. Thereby, the clearance between the piston 20 and the spring 40 can be secured.

<Structure for making all parts of the pump 2 from resin>
In this embodiment, not only the spring 40 but also all parts of the pump 2 are made of the same resin, so the following structure is adopted.

At the lower end of the cylinder 30, a take-in hole 32 for taking in the solution into the cylinder 30 is arranged. A plate-shaped valve 33 is arranged in the intake hole 32 to prevent backflow. The valve 33 is made of resin. This eliminates the need to use metal balls that are generally used as valves.

An annular fixture 3 for mounting the pump 2 to the opening 11 of the container 10 is connected to the lower end of the cylinder 70 . A seal structure 34 is provided at the upper end of the outer circumference of the cylinder 30 to prevent leakage of the liquid in the container 10 . Specifically, a minute cylindrical member 34 a pressed against the inner edge of the opening 11 and a ring-shaped member 34 b pressed against the upper edge of the opening 11 are provided as the seal structure 34 . As a result, it is not necessary to dispose a generally used elastic member such as rubber inside the fixture 3, and the seal structure 34 can be formed of the same resin material as the cylinder 30 and the like.

All members of the pump 2 as well as the spring 40 can be made of the same resin material. For example, since all the members of the pump 2 can be made of polypropylene, there is no need to separate them when disposing of the pump 2, and recycling is easy.

<During operation>
Changes in each part during operation of the pump 2 will be described.

When the nozzle 22 is pushed down by the user as shown in FIG. 1(b) from the stationary state of FIG. At this time, the springs 40-1 to 40-3 are also compressed.

As the lower end of the piston 20 is pushed down, the pressure in the cylinder 30 increases, and the liquid in the cylinder passes through the gap between the lower piston 20a and the piston valve 20c as shown in FIG. and the piston outer cylinder 20b, enters the piston outer cylinder 20b, and is ejected to the outside through the nozzle 22.

When the user releases the nozzle 22, the restoring force of the springs 40-1 to 40-3 pushes up the nozzle 22, thereby expanding the space inside the cylinder 30 and reducing the pressure. Liquid in container 10 is sucked up by tube 12 , passes through intake hole 32 and valve 33 , and fills cylinder 30 .

1(a) and (b) are repeated each time the nozzle 22 is pushed down by the user.

Thus, in the ejection container 1 of this embodiment, the spring 40 is not arranged inside the cylinder 30, so there is no risk of the spring 40 being corroded by the liquid. Moreover, even if the external atmosphere contains a volatile chemical, the spring 40 is made of resin and is therefore free from corrosion.

In addition, since the springs 40 are small and can be stacked and placed inside the pump 2, the length (height) of the springs 40 can be adjusted, and the pump 2 can be designed with a high degree of freedom.

<<<Modification 1 of Spring 40>>>
A modified example 1 of the spring 40 is shown in FIG.

The spring 40 of FIG. 4 has four reinforcing members 45 to 48 arranged between two columnar members 43 and 44 . One end of the reinforcing members 45 to 48 is fixed to one of the columnar members 43 and 44, and the other end is fixed to another one.

By arranging the reinforcing members 45 to 48 in this manner, it is possible to suppress lateral expansion of the two columnar members 43 and 44 when the spring 40 is compressed.

<<<Modified Example 2-1 of Spring 40>>>
A modified example 2-1 of the spring 40 is shown in FIG.

The spring 40 in FIG. 5 has the same configuration as the spring 40 in FIG. 3, but the inclination angles of the columnar members 43 and 44 are smaller than in FIG.

Other configurations and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment, so description thereof is omitted.

<<<Modified Example 2-2 of Spring 40>>>
A modified example 2-2 of the spring 40 is shown in FIG.

A spring 40 in FIG. 6 has a structure in which four reinforcing members 45 to 48 are arranged between two columnar members 43 and 44 of the spring in FIG.

By arranging the reinforcing members 45 to 48 in this manner, it is possible to suppress lateral expansion of the two columnar members 43 and 44 when the spring 40 is compressed.

<<<Modified Example 3-1 of Spring 40>>>
A modification 3-1 of the spring 40 is shown in FIG.

A spring 40 in FIG. 7 has a structure in which three columnar members 143, 144, and 145 are arranged at regular intervals.

<<<Modified Example 3-2 of Spring 40>>>
A modification 3-2 of the spring 40 is shown in FIG.

The spring 40 of FIG. 8 has a structure in which six reinforcing members 146 to 151 are arranged between the three columnar members 143, 144, 145 of the spring 40 of FIG.

<<<modification 4 of spring 40>>>
A fourth modification of the spring 40 is shown in FIG.

The number of columnar members of the spring 40 in FIG. 9 is an even number of four or more (four in this example), and half of the columnar members 445 and 446 are inclined in the opposite direction to the other half of the columnar members 443 and 444. , the direction of displacement of the second fixing positions 443b to 446b with respect to the first fixing positions 443a to 446a is set. As a result, half of the columnar members 445 and 446 intersect the remaining half of the columnar members 443 and 444 and are fixed to each other at intersection positions 450 and 451 and the like.

As a result, half of the columnar members 445 and 446 and the remaining half of the columnar members 443 and 444 act as mutually reinforcing members, and it is possible to suppress lateral expansion of the columnar members 443 to 446. .

<<<Modification 5 of Spring 40>>>
A fifth modification of the spring 40 is shown in FIG.

The columnar members 243 and 244 of the spring 40 in FIG. 10 are plate-shaped members curved in a shape along the circumferential direction of the first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42 .

A first fixing position 243a, which is a fixing position between one end (upper end) of the plate-shaped columnar member 243 and the first ring-shaped member 41, and the other end (lower end) of the columnar member 243 and the second ring-shaped member 42. The second fixed position 243b, which is the fixed position of , is at the same angle with respect to the centers of the first and second ring-shaped members 41,42. That is, there is a second fixation position directly below the first fixation position 243a.

Further, the plate-like columnar members 243 and 244 are curved outward with respect to the central axis connecting the center of the first ring-shaped member 41 and the center of the second ring-shaped member 42 .

The spring 40 of FIG. 10 can obtain the same actions and effects as the spring of FIG. 3 and the springs of each modified example.

<<<modification 6 of spring 40>>>
A sixth modification of the spring 40 is shown in FIG.

The spring 40 of FIG. 11 is configured with first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42 and a tubular member 343 that are arranged to face each other. Both the first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42 and the cylindrical member 343 are made of resin.

Both ends of the cylindrical member 343 are fixed to the first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42, respectively. The diameter of the cylindrical member 343 varies in the axial direction, being the largest at both ends in the axial direction and the smallest at the center in the axial direction.

For example, in the example of FIG. 11, the tubular member 343 has the largest diameter at both ends, is linearly inclined toward the center, and has the smallest diameter at the center.

In addition, two or more (four in FIG. 11) cutouts 343a and 343b are provided in the first and second ring-shaped members 41 and 42, respectively.

The cutouts 343a and 343b reach the tubular member 343, and the tubular member 343 is also cut out.

The spring 40 of FIG. 11 is similar to the spring of FIG. 3 and the springs of each modified example, when the user applies force to the nozzle 22, the tubular member 343 is deformed and compressed, and when the user releases the hand, the spring 40 of FIG. The nozzle 22 can be pushed up by the restoring force of the spring 40 of .

Reference Signs List 1 ejection container 2 pump 3 fixture 10 container 11 opening 12 pipe 20 piston 20a lower piston 20b piston outer cylinder 20c piston valve 22 nozzle 30 cylinder 31 cylinder bush 32 hole 33 valve 34 seal structure 34a member 34b ring-shaped member 40 spring 41 ring Shaped member 42 Ring-shaped member 43 Column-shaped member 44 Column-shaped member 45 Reinforcement member 70 Cylinder 143 Column-shaped member 146 Reinforcement member 243 Column-shaped member 243a Fixed position 243b Fixed position 343 Cylindrical member 443 Column-shaped member 445 Column-shaped member 450 Intersecting position

Claims (18)

including first and second ring-shaped members facing each other and two or more flexible column-shaped members;
The first and second ring members and the two or more columnar members are both made of resin,
the columnar member is curved along the circumferential direction of the first and second ring-shaped members and inclined with respect to the axial direction of the first and second ring-shaped members; Both ends of the columnar member are respectively fixed to the first and second ring-shaped members,
From a first fixed position where one end of the columnar member and the first ring-shaped member are fixed to a second fixed position where the other end of the columnar member and the second ring-shaped member are fixed 3. A spring characterized in that the angle in the circumferential direction of said first and second ring-shaped members is smaller than 2π. The spring according to claim 1, characterized in that said two or more columnar members are fixed to said first and second ring-shaped members at equal intervals. 3. The spring according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a reinforcing member is arranged between two or more of said columnar members, and one end of said reinforcing member is fixed to one of said columnar members, A spring, wherein the other end is fixed to another one of said columnar members. 2. The spring according to claim 1, wherein the number of said columnar members is an even number of four or more, half of said columnar members have a direction of inclination opposite to that of the remaining half of said columnar members, and said half of said columnar members of the columnar members intersect with the other half of the columnar members, and are fixed to each other at the intersecting positions. 2. The spring according to claim 1, wherein the column-shaped member is a plate-shaped member curved in a shape along the circumferential direction of the first and second ring-shaped members,
A first fixing position, which is a fixing position between one end of the plate-shaped columnar member and the first ring-shaped member, and a second fixing position, which is a fixing position between the other end of the columnar member and the second ring-shaped member. A spring characterized in that the fixed positions are at the same angle with respect to the centers of the first and second ring-shaped members. 6. The spring according to claim 5, wherein the plate-like columnar member is arranged outwardly with respect to a central axis connecting the center of the first ring-shaped member and the center of the second ring-shaped member. A spring characterized by having a shape curved in a direction. The spring according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the axially outer surfaces of the first and second ring-shaped members are flat surfaces. 7. The spring according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein one of the axially outer surface of the first ring-shaped member and the axially outer surface of the second ring-shaped member At least one of the springs is fitted with the axially outer surface of the first ring-shaped member and the axially outer surface of the second ring-shaped member that come into contact with each other when a plurality of the springs are stacked. A spring characterized in that it is provided with a fitting portion that allows the spring to move. 9. The spring according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first ring-shaped member and the second ring-shaped member are in a state where no force is applied to the first and second ring-shaped members. A spring characterized in that the distance between the members is 1.5 times or less the diameter of the first and second ring-shaped members. including first and second ring-shaped members arranged to face each other and a tubular member,
The first and second ring members and the tubular member are both made of resin,
Both ends of the tubular member are fixed to the first and second ring-shaped members, respectively;
A spring characterized in that the tubular member has a diameter that varies in the axial direction, being largest at both ends in the axial direction and smallest at the center in the axial direction. 11. The spring according to claim 10, wherein each of said first and second ring-shaped members is provided with two or more notches,
The spring, wherein the two or more notches reach the tubular member, and the tubular member is also notched. a cylinder having an upper opening; a piston having a lower end inserted into the opening of the cylinder; an annular cylinder bush covering a space around the piston in the opening of the cylinder; a nozzle;
A cylinder that forms an annular space around the piston is mounted on the upper portion of the annular cylinder bushing, and a spring that biases the nozzle upward is disposed in the cylinder. 12. A pump characterized by being the spring according to any one of claims 1 to 11. 13. The pump according to claim 12, wherein the lower surface of said second ring-shaped member of said spring contacts the upper surface of said annular cylinder bushing, and the upper surface of said first ring-shaped member contacts the upper end of said piston. A pump, characterized in that it is in contact with a portion of a nozzle attached to the 13. A pump according to claim 12, wherein said springs are stacked in plurality and arranged in an annular space around said piston formed by said cylinder, the second of said lowest arranged springs The lower surface of the ring-shaped member is in contact with the upper surface of the annular cylinder bushing, and the upper surface of the first ring member of the uppermost spring is in contact with part of the nozzle attached to the upper end of the piston. A pump characterized by: 15. The pump according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein an intake hole for taking a solution into the cylinder is arranged at the lower end of the cylinder, and the intake hole has a plate-like structure for preventing backflow. A pump comprising a valve, the valve being made of resin. 16. The pump according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the lower end of the cylinder is connected to an annular fixture for mounting the pump on the opening of the container,
The pump, wherein the upper end of the outer periphery of the cylinder is provided with a seal structure that is pressed against the inner edge of the opening of the container to prevent liquid leakage. The pump according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that all members are made of the same material. A squirt container having a container with an opening and a pump attached to the opening of the container,
A squirt container, wherein the pump is a pump according to any one of claims 12-17.

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