The present invention relates to a dispenser assembly.
In recent years, containers that store fluid, and discharge it in response to operations performed by users have been widespread. A certain type of the container includes a nozzle with a discharge outlet, and a pump that sucks and pumps the fluid. When the nozzle is pressed against a body part of the user, the pressing of the nozzle causes the pump to pump the fluid into the discharge outlet and discharge the fluid from the discharge outlet toward the body part of the user.
With regard to the discharge of fluid, Patent Literature 1 discloses a discharge container having a nozzle with a discharge outlet whose shape or arrangement position is modified. By modifying the shape or arrangement position of the discharge outlet, it is possible to shape the fluid discharged toward the body part of the user into a predetermined desired shape such as an animal, plant, or character. In addition, Patent Literature 2 and Patent Literature 3 disclose configurations related to a container or other things. In addition, Patent Literature 4 and Patent Literature 5 disclose modification to configurations related to installation of an attachment such as an adapter or cap for a container.
However, with regard to the configurations disclosed in Patent Literature 4 and Patent Literature 5, there is a room for improvement in attachability/detachability of the attachment.
The present invention relates to an assembly including an attachment with improved attachability/detachability.
To solve the above-described problem, an aspect of the present invention relates to an assembly including an attachment and a container, the container including a main body and a tube section, the main body forming a storage space, the tube section having an opening that communicates with the storage space, the tube section having an outer circumference surface provided with a first engagement section, the first engagement section having a first surface facing a first direction that is a direction toward the storage space, the attachment including a ring-shaped section that is fittable with the tube section, the ring-shaped section having an inner circumference surface provided with a second engagement section, the second engagement section having a first surface facing a second direction that is a direction away from the storage space, the first engagement section and the second engagement section being engageable with each other when the first surface of the first engagement section abuts on the first surface of the second engagement section, drag force in the second direction being larger than drag force in the first direction, the drag force being force for the first engagement section or the second engagement section to go over each other, the tube section including a first guide section and a curved portion protruding toward the first direction, the first guide section having a first surface facing the second direction, the ring-shaped section including a second guide section and a curved portion protruding toward the first direction, the second guide section having a first surface facing the first direction, the first surface of the first engagement section extending along a first rotation direction in such a manner that the first surface gets biased toward the second direction as the first surface goes toward the first rotation direction, the first rotation direction being one of circumferential directions of the tube section, at least one of the first surface of the first guide section or the first surface of the second guide section extending along the first rotation direction in such a manner that the first surface gets biased toward the second direction as the first surface goes toward the first rotation direction, the first surface of the second engagement section being provided in such a manner that the first surface of the second engagement section abuts on the first surface of the first engagement section or separates from the first surface of the first engagement section toward the first direction in a state where the first surface of the first guide section abuts on the first surface of the second guide section.
Hereinafter, referring to the appended drawings, preferable embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. Note that, in this specification and the appended drawings, structural elements that have substantially the same function and structure are denoted with the same reference signs, and repeated explanation of these structural elements will be omitted.
<Schematic configuration of Apparatus>
In recent years, containers that store fluid and discharge it in response to operations performed by users have been widespread. Examples of a discharge receiver serving as a discharge destination into which the fluid is discharged includes a body part such as a hand or an arm of a user, a sponge for cleaning or embrocation, a food such as bread on which cream or the like is to be spread, and the like. Next, a schematic configuration of a container 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to
The bag container 20 forms a storage space that stores fluid. The fluid stored in the bag container 20 may be liquid, gel, or paste. All of the liquid, gel, and paste are flowable, but the liquid does not have a permanent fixed shape, and the gel and paste are semisolid and may have temporary fixed shapes. Specifically, examples of the fluid stored in the bag container 20 include liquid detergent, fabric softener, bleach, shampoo, hair conditioner, hair treatment, body soap, cosmetic liquid, body cream, drug, toilet gel stamp, hair cosmetic, various kinds of foods (for example, edible oil and fat such as mayonnaise and margarine, cream, and the like.
As illustrated in
The exterior container 30 stores the bag container 20 detachably. In the example illustrated in
The pump section 40 is detachably attached to the bag container 20. For example, the pump section 40 is detachably attached to the bag container 20 when the pump section 40 is screwed into the spout section 24 of the bag container 20. The pump section 40 includes a piston. When the discharge section 60 is pressed against the discharge receiver (for example, a hand B of the user illustrated in
When the press of the discharge section 60 against the discharge receiver is canceled, the piston of the pump section 40 and the discharge section 60 move in a direction away from the storage space of the bag main body 22 due to elastomeric force of a spring installed in the pump section 40. The pump section 40 sucks the fluid from the storage space of the bag main body 22 while the piston moves in the direction away from the storage space of the bag main body 22.
In this specification, sometimes a direction in which the piston of the pump section 40 gets closer to the storage space of the bag main body 22 may be referred to as a downward direction (first direction. Negative direction of the Z axis illustrated in
The shoulder section 50 stores the pump section 40 and engages with the exterior container 30 detachably. It is possible to replace the bag container 20 with a new bag container 20 by detaching the shoulder section 50 from the exterior container 30, extracting the bag container 20 from the exterior container 30, and detaching the pump section 40 from the bag container 20. For example, it is possible for the user to set the new bag container 20 by attaching the pump section 40 to the new bag container 20, storing the bag container 20 into the exterior container 30, and installing the shoulder section 50 on the exterior container 30.
The discharge section 60 has a plurality of discharge outlets 628 that discharges the fluid. The discharge section 60 is separable into a nozzle 62 having the plurality of discharge outlets 628 and a nozzle attachment section 64 having a tubular shape. The nozzle 62 is installed on a top of the nozzle attachment section 64 and functions as a top for the discharge section 60. The nozzle attachment section 64 functions as a base of the discharge section 60 and is installed on the pump section 40 that is a member on the bag container 20 side. The bag container 20 is a main body of container. The shoulder section 50 has a ring-shaped groove on its upper surface, and the discharge section 60 is able to reciprocate along an up-down direction in the ring-shaped groove. Note that, the ring shape is a shape that surround a certain region. The ring shape may be a continuous shape or a discontinuous shape.
The plurality of discharge outlets 628 are designed in such a manner that the fluid is shaped into a predetermined desired shape on the discharge receiver. The number, shape, and arrangement of the discharge outlets 628 are designed depending on the desired shape. In the example illustrated in
The overcap 70 is detachably attached to the shoulder section 50. In a state where the overcap 70 is attached to the shoulder section 50, the discharge section 60 is not pressed against the discharge receiver. This makes it possible to prevent the discharge section 60 from discharging the fluid in a case where the user does not intend to do so.
The schematic configuration of the container 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, details of configurations of some elements included in the container 10 will be sequentially described.
The trunk section 32 has a tubular shape with a bottom. The smaller-diameter section 34 extends from an upper end of the trunk section 32 toward an upward direction. The smaller-diameter section 34 has a tubular shape, and has an outer diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of the upper end of the trunk section 32. The smaller-diameter section 34 has an outer circumference surface provided with two ribs 35. In the example illustrated in
The configuration of the exterior container 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, a configuration of the spout section 24 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The tube section 242 has a tubular shape and has a pair of opposing openings. An opening H1 illustrated in
The protrusion section 244 is a portion that protrudes from the outer circumference of the tube section 242. The outer circumference surface of the protrusion section 244 has two recess sections 245 that are hollowed in its radial direction.
The upper flange 246 and the lower flange 247 are also portions that protrude from the outer circumference of the tube section 242. The upper flange 246 is positioned above the lower flange 247, and there is a ring-shaped groove between the upper flange 246 and the lower flange 247. The joint section 248 is a portion to be joined to the inner circumference surface of the bag main body 22.
The configuration of the spout section 24 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, a configuration of the pump section 40 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The stem 402 has a hollow section serving as a flow path for the fluid. The stem 402 supports the piston 408 in such a manner that the piston 408 is movable along the up-down direction. The stem 402 has a hole that communicates with a pump room P to be described later. Through the hole, the fluid flows into the stem 402 from the pump room P. The housing 404 has a tubular shape. The housing cap 406 is attached to the housing 404 in such a manner that the housing cap 406 closes an upper opening of the housing 404. The housing cap 406 has an opening, and the stem 402 is inserted into the opening.
The piston 408 is supported in the housing 404 in such a manner that the piston 408 is able to reciprocate along the up-down direction. The pump room P that temporarily stores the fluid is formed between the piston 408 and the housing 404. The spring 410 has an end fixed to an inside of the housing 404, and the other end fixed to a lower edge of the stem 402. The spring 410 is an example of an elastic body that biases the stem 402 toward the upper direction. The ball valve 412 is an example of a valve body and is supported below the spring 410 in the housing 404. The ball valve 412 allows the fluid to flow into the stem 402 from the bag main body 22 and prevents the fluid from leaking into the bag main body 22 from the stem 402.
The outer tube section 414 is positioned outside the housing 404. The outer tube section 414 has an inner circumference surface provided with a screw section 415 into which the screw section 243 of the spout section 24 is to be screwed. A gasket 416 is a ring-shaped member positioned above the screw section 415 and between the outer tube section 414 and the housing 404. The gasket 416 abuts on an upper end surface of the tube section 242 of the spout section 24. In this specification and the appended drawings, the example in which the outer tube section 414 is separated from the shoulder section 50 is described. However, it is also possible to integrally form the outer tube section 414 and the shoulder section 50 in such a manner that the outer tube section 414 and the shoulder section 50 serve as a single part.
Note that, the gasket 416 desirably has a thickness d that is greater than or equals to a value obtained when dividing pitch of the screw section 415 by the number of the recess sections 245 of the protrusion section 244 of the spout section 24 or the number of fitting sections 54 (to be described later) of the shoulder section 50. For example, in a case where the pitch of the screw section 415 is 3.2 mm and the number of recess sections of the protrusion section 244 of the spout section 24 is two, the thickness d of the gasket 416 may be greater than or equal to 1.6 mm (for example, 1.8 mm), which is obtained when dividing 3.2 mm by 2.
The configuration of the pump section 40 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, a configuration of the shoulder section 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The outer circumference section 52 has a tapered shape in such a manner that the outer circumference section 52 has an outer diameter that gets smaller toward its upper side. For example, the outer circumference section 52 has an oval cross-sectional shape. As illustrated in
The inner tube section 56 is positioned inside the outer circumference section 52. The inner tube section 56 has a hollow section 55 therein. The hollow section 55 stores a part of the pump section 40. The groove 57 is a ring-shaped groove formed along the up-down direction between the outer circumference section 52 and the inner tube section 56. The bottom section 58 is a portion serving as a bottom of the groove 57. The bottom section 58 has a plurality of holes 59 serving as flow paths for air.
In addition, the bottom section 58 has a lower surface provided with a plurality of the fitting sections 54 that protrude downward. In the example illustrated in
Note that, when the fitting sections 54 of the shoulder section 50 fit with the recess sections 245 of the protrusion section 244 of the spout section 24, there may be a difference of half the circumference in an amount of screwing the pump section 40 into the spout section 24. Therefore, there may be a difference of length corresponding to half the pitch of the screw section 415 of the pump section 40 at an upper end position of the spout section 24 in the pump section 40. In this respect, it is possible to achieve airtightness of the bag container 20 by the upper end of the spout section 24 abutting on the gasket 416 in any case, when the gasket 416 is designed to have the thickness d corresponding to half the pitch of the screw section 415 or more, and when the gasket 416 is installed in such a manner that the gasket 416 abuts on the spout section 24 even at an assumed position where s lowest upper end position of the spout section 24 is obtained in the pump section 40.
The configuration of the shoulder section 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, a configuration of the nozzle 62 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The ring-shaped section 622 includes an outer ring section 623 that constitutes an outer circumference section of the ring-shaped section 622. As indicated by a dashed rectangle in
The outer ring section 623 has an outer circumference surface provided with two knob sections 6231. Each of the knob sections 6231 includes a plurality of ribs along the up-down direction. The knob sections 6231 are portions to be pinched by fingers of the user. Since each of the knob sections 6231 includes the plurality of ribs, it is possible to prevent the user from losing his/her grip when the user is twisting the nozzle 62.
As illustrated in
The base section 626 is positioned inside the ring-shaped section 622. The base section 626 is provided with the one or more discharge outlets 628. In the example illustrated in
The configuration of the nozzle 62 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, a configuration of the nozzle attachment section 64 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The first region 642 is a part that constitutes an outer circumference of the nozzle attachment section 64 and is positioned below the second region 644. The second region 644 is another part that also constitutes the outer circumference of the nozzle attachment section 64 and is positioned above the first region 642. The second region 644 has a smaller outer diameter than the first region 642. The first region 642 is a sleeve of the nozzle attachment section 64. A maximum height of the first region 642 from its bottom to its top is smaller than a maximum height of the nozzle attachment section 64 from its bottom to its top. The height of the first region 642 from its bottom varies in the circumferential direction of the nozzle attachment section 64, and this shapes a rim of the first region 642. The rim of the first region 624 has a curved shape and has a pair of protrusion sections (portions protruding upward) and a pair of recess sections (portion protruding downward) that are successive to the protrusion sections, as portions that are opposed to each other in the radial direction of the nozzle attachment section 64. The maximum height of the first region 642 is obtained in the protrusion sections, and the minimum height is obtained in the recess sections.
As indicated by a dashed rectangle in
The top surface section 646 is positioned inside the second region 644 and is a plate section having a circular shape. The top surface section 646 has an opening H2. Via the opening H2, the fluid is supplied to the discharge outlets 628 of the nozzle 62. In addition, the top surface section 646 has a lower surface provided with a stem fitting section 6461. The stem fitting section 6461 is a recess section that communicates with the opening H2. The stem fitting section 6461 fits with a tip of the stem 402. This makes it possible for the fluid pumped by the pump section 40 to flow out from the opening H2.
The respective configurations of the structural elements included in the container 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention have been described above. Next, a cross-sectional configuration and behavior of the container 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In addition, the pump section 40 is attached to the spout section 24 when the screw section 243 of the spout section 24 is screwed into the screw section 415 of the pump section 40. At this time, it is possible to achieve airtightness of the bag container 20 when the gasket 416 abuts on the upper end of the tube section 242 of the spout section 24. Note that, as described with reference to
The container 10 discharges the fluid toward the discharge receiver when the nozzle 62 is pressed against the discharge receiver. Specifically, when the nozzle 62 is pressed against the discharge receiver, the nozzle 62 and the nozzle attachment section 64 go down in the groove 57 formed on the shoulder section 50. The stem 402 fits with the stem fitting section 6461 of the nozzle attachment section 64, and the stem 402 connects with the piston 408. Therefore, the stem 402 and the piston 408 integrally go down when the nozzle attachment section 64 goes down. Accordingly, the pump room P has a higher inner pressure, the fluid temporarily stored in the pump room P is pumped through the stem 402, the fluid passes through the opening H2 of the nozzle attachment section 64, and the fluid is discharged from the discharge outlets 628 (see
Next, when the press of the nozzle 62 against the discharge receiver is canceled, the stem 402 and the piston 408 rise due to elastomeric force of the screw section 415, the nozzle 62 and the nozzle attachment section 64 also rise as the stem 402 and the piston 408 rise, and the stem 402, the piston 408, the nozzle 62, and the nozzle attachment section 64 return to their initial positions. When the stem 402 and the piston 408 go up, negative pressure is generated in the pump room P. This makes it possible to open the ball valve 412 and allow the fluid to flow into the pump room P from the storage space of the bag main body 22 through a dip tube 23 (see
The above-described embodiment of the present invention achieves various actions and effects. For example, the bag container 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention is attachable/detachable to/from the exterior container 30 and the pump section 40. Therefore, it is possible to continue using the exterior container 30, the pump section 40, and other members by replacing the bag container 20 with a new bag container 20 in a case of run out of the fluid in the bag container 20. Accordingly, the container 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention contributes to environmental protection.
In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the fitting sections 54 of the shoulder section 50 fit with the recess sections 245 of the protrusion section 244 of the spout section 24, as illustrated in
In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the discharge section 60 includes the nozzle 62 and the nozzle attachment section 64, and the nozzle 62 is detachable from the nozzle attachment section 64, as illustrated in
In addition, as illustrated in
In addition, as illustrated in
In addition, as illustrated in
The ribs 645 are also formed on the portions protruding downward of the inner circumference surface of the outer ring section 623. When the user is twisting the nozzle 62 off the nozzle attachment section 64 toward a direction of an arrow (first rotation direction) while pinching the knob sections 6231 of the nozzle 62 as illustrated in
The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. Next, some modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described. Note that, modifications to be described below may be applied to the above-described embodiment alone or in combination. In addition, modifications to be described below may be applied instead of or in addition to the structural elements according to the above-described embodiment.
The nozzle 62-1 has an outer circumference surface provided with a positioning rib 627. A protrusion (not illustrated) is formed on an inner circumference surface of the nozzle 62-1 at a circumferential position corresponding to a position where the positioning rib 627 is formed. The user twists the nozzle 62-1 into the nozzle attachment section 64-1 in a state where the protrusion passes through the gap of the rib 645-1 and the nozzle 62-1 is attached to the nozzle attachment section 64-1 as illustrated in a middle of
In addition, it is also possible for the user to detach the nozzle 62-1 from the nozzle attachment section 64-1 by aligning the position of the positioning rib 627 with the position of the positioning rib 647 and separating the nozzle 62-1 from the nozzle attachment section 64-1.
The bag container 20 may be unbundled in a state where a cap for closing the opening H1 of the spout section 24 is attached in addition to the bag main body 22 and the spout section 24. It is possible for the user to replace the bag container 20 by purchasing the bag container 20 that are unbundled. In addition, the nozzle 62 may be disposed on the cap of the bag container 20 in such a manner that the nozzle 62 is detachable from the cap. In other words, the bag container 20 may include the nozzle-attached cap. Such a configuration makes it possible to allow the user to replace the nozzle 62 in addition to the bag container 20. It is helpful to replace the nozzle 62 because sometimes the fluid gets stuck in the discharge outlets 628 of the nozzle 62. Next, some application examples of the nozzle-attached cap will be described.
When the user disengages the protrusion section 6232 from the claw section 825, the nozzle 62-1 pivots via the coupler section 87 with respect to the cap 82 as illustrated in
The cap 82-3 includes the spout engagement section 822 and a cap top surface section 824-3. The cap top surface section 824-3 is provided with a linear section 826 and a latch section 827 with a hole. The linear section 826 has a linear shape and is bendable. The linear section 826 has a tip provided with a head section 8261. In a state where the linear section 826 passes through the recess sections 624 of the ring-shaped section 622 of the nozzle 62-3, the head section 8261 passes through the hole of the latch section 827, and the latch section holds the head section 8261. This makes it possible to fix the nozzle 62-3 to the cap 82-3.
When the user pulls out the head section 8261 from the hole of the latch section 827 and the linear section 826 is straightened as illustrated in
The nozzle 62 has the base section 626 provided with a recess section 629 that is recessed when viewed from below. The recess section 629 has a side wall provided with a screw thread. The nozzle 62 is attached to the cap 82-4 when the nozzle engagement section 828 of the cap 82-4 is screwed into the recess section 629. It is possible to separate the nozzle 62 from the cap 82-4 when the user twists the nozzle 62 off the cap 82-4.
The nozzle 62 may be provided with a movable section having pins, the movable section being pivotable between a position where the pins are inserted into the discharge outlets 628 of the nozzle 62 and a position where the pins are not inserted into the discharge outlets 628.
As described above, it is possible to reduce a possibility for the discharge outlets 628 to get clogged with the fluid by inserting the pins 923 of the movable section 92 into the discharge outlets 628 of the nozzle 62-5 when the container 10 is not used.
Note that, as illustrated in
Here, details of the nozzle 62 and the nozzle attachment section 64 will be described. Note that, hereinafter, the bag container 20, the exterior container 30, the pump section 40, the shoulder section 50, and the nozzle attachment section 64 are treated as a container, and the container and the nozzle 62 constitute a single assembly. Note that, the nozzle 62 is an example of an attachment that is attachable/detachable to/from the container.
As illustrated in
In a similar way, as illustrated in
When the first surface 645f of the rib 645 abuts on the first surface 625f of the rib 625, the rib 645 functioning as a first engagement section becomes engageable with the rib 625 functioning as a second engagement section. The plurality of ribs 645 is provided along the circumferential direction of the nozzle attachment section 64. The plurality of ribs 625 is provided along the circumferential direction of the outer ring section 623. In addition, the length of the rib 625 in the circumferential direction of the outer ring section 623 is shorter than the length of the rib 645 in the circumferential direction of the nozzle attachment section 64.
In addition, the first surface 625f of the rib 625 extends along the first rotation direction in such a manner that the first surface 625f gets biased upward as the first surface 625f goes toward the first rotation direction (direction of arrow illustrated in
In addition, as indicated by the dashed rectangle in
In a similar way, as indicated by the dashed rectangle in
At least one of the first surface 6427f of the first guide section 6427 or the first surface 6237f of the second guide section 6237 extends along the first rotation direction in such a manner that the first surface gets biased upward as the first surface goes toward the first rotation direction.
The ribs 625 of the nozzle 62 are provided in such a manner that the first surfaces 625f of the ribs 625 abut on the first surfaces 645f of the ribs 645 of the nozzle attachment section 64 or separates from the first surfaces 645f of the ribs 645 downward in a state where the first surfaces 6427f of the first guide sections 6427 abut on the first surfaces 6237f of the second guide sections 6237.
The above-described configurations of the nozzle 62 and the nozzle attachment section 64 achieve various actions and effects. For example, an angle of the first surface 625f of the rib 625 of the nozzle 62 with respect to the up-down direction is larger than an angle of the second surface 625s with respect to the up-down direction. According to such a configuration, drag force for the rib 625 to go over the rib 645 upward from an engagement state illustrated in
In addition, the nozzle 62 and the nozzle attachment section 64 have the curved portions protruding downward. This makes it possible to guide the nozzle 62 in such a manner that the respective curved portions fit with each other when the user tries to engage the nozzle 62 with the nozzle attachment section 64 by snaps. Accordingly, it becomes easy to align the position of the nozzle 62 with the position of the nozzle attachment section 64, and it becomes easy to perform engaging operation.
In addition, at least one of the first surface 6427f of the first guide section 6427 or the first surface 6237f of the second guide section 6237 extends along the first rotation direction in such a manner that the first surface gets biased upward as the first surface goes toward the first rotation direction. According to such a configuration, when twisting the nozzle 62 off the nozzle attachment section 64 toward the first rotation direction to cancel the engagement between the rib 625 and the rib 645, the nozzle 62 is guided while the first surface 6237f of the second guide sections 6237 is abutting on the first surface 6427f of the first guide section 6427, and the nozzle 62 is lifted upward from the nozzle attachment section 64. This makes it easier to cancel the engagement by twisting the nozzle 62.
In addition, the first surface 645f of the rib 645 extends along the first rotation direction in such a manner that the first surface 645f gets biased upward as the first surface 645f goes toward the first rotation direction. According to such a configuration, when the nozzle 62 is guided while the first surface 6237f of the second guide sections 6237 of the nozzle 62 is abutting on the first surface 6427f of the first guide section 6427 of the nozzle attachment section 64, the nozzle 62 is guided in such a manner that the first surface 625f of the rib 625 goes along the first surface 645f of the rib 645 even if the nozzle 62 is lifted upward from the nozzle attachment section 64. This makes it possible to prevent the ribs 625 of the nozzle 62 from going over the ribs 645 of the nozzle attachment section 64 upward. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress damage to the ribs 625 and the ribs 645.
In addition, the first surface 625f of the rib 625 extends along the first rotation direction in such a manner that the first surface 625f gets biased upward as the first surface 625f goes toward the first rotation direction, the first rotation direction being one of the circumferential directions of the outer ring section 623. As described above, the shapes of the ribs 625 are similar to the shapes of the ribs 645. This makes it possible to improve strength of the engagement between the ribs 625 and the ribs 645.
In addition, the ribs 625 of the nozzle 62 are provided in such a manner that the first surfaces 625f of the ribs 625 abut on the first surfaces 645f of the ribs 645 of the nozzle attachment section 64 or separates from the first surfaces 645f of the ribs 645 downward in a state where the first surfaces 6427f of the first guide sections 6427 abut on the first surfaces 6237f of the second guide sections 6237. Specifically, the upward bias of at least one of the first surface 6427f of the first guide section 6427 or the first surface 6237f of the second guide section 6237 for a given amount of rotation in the first rotation direction is less than or equal to the upward bias of the first surface 645f of the rib 645 for the given amount of rotation in the first rotation direction. According to such a configuration, it becomes possible to prevent the ribs 625 of the nozzle 62 from going over the ribs 645 of the nozzle attachment section 64 upward more reliably. Note that, to improve the strength of the engagement between the ribs 625 and the ribs 645, the first surfaces 625f of the rib 625 preferably abut on the first surfaces 645f of the ribs 645 before canceling the engagement between the ribs 625 and the ribs 645 at least.
In addition, the length of the rib 625 in the circumferential direction of the outer ring section 623 is shorter than the length of the rib 645 in the circumferential direction of the nozzle attachment section 64. According to such a configuration, it is possible to lessen a power that is necessary for the user to engage the nozzle 62 with the nozzle attachment section 64 by snaps.
In addition, the plurality of ribs 625 and the plurality of ribs 645 are provided in the circumferential direction. According to such a configuration, it becomes possible to reduce the ranges of the single rib 625 and the single rib 645 in the circumferential direction. This makes it possible to reduce a relative amount of rotation of the nozzle 62 about the nozzle attachment section 64, the relative amount of rotation being necessary to cancel the engagement. In addition, the plurality of pairs of the rib 625 and the rib 645 is installed. This makes it possible to improve the strength of the engagement between the ribs 625 and the ribs 645 as the whole assembly. In view of the latter, the plurality of ribs 625 is preferably symmetrical about an axis line of the outer ring section 623, and the plurality of ribs 645 is preferably symmetrical about an axis line of the nozzle attachment section 64.
In addition, the plurality of curved portions of the nozzle 62 and the plurality of curved portions of the nozzle attachment section 64 are provided in the circumferential direction. This allows the user to easily find the curved portions of the nozzle 62 and the nozzle attachment section 64 regardless of postures of the nozzle 62 and the nozzle attachment section 64 viewed by the user. Accordingly, it becomes easier to align the position of the nozzle 62 with the position of the nozzle attachment section 64. From this viewpoint, the curved portions of the nozzle 62 are preferably provided on both sides across a plane passing through the axis line of the outer ring section 623, and the curved portions of the nozzle attachment section 64 are preferably provided on both sides across a plane passing through the axis line of the nozzle attachment section 64.
In addition, the plurality of first guide sections 6427 and the plurality of second guide sections 6237 are provided in the circumferential direction. This makes it possible to stabilize the guiding action obtained when the first guide sections 6427 abut on the second guide sections 6237, as the whole assembly. From this viewpoint, the plurality of first guide sections 6427 is preferably symmetrical about the axis line of the nozzle attachment section 64, and the plurality of second guide sections 6237 is preferably symmetrical about an axis line of the outer ring section 623.
In addition, the first guide sections 6427 are provided on the border between the first region 642 and the second region 644, and the second guide sections 6237 are provided on a lower end of the outer ring section 623. According to such a configuration, it becomes possible to easily suppress unevenness between the first region 642 of the nozzle attachment section 64 and the outer ring section 623 of the nozzle 62 in the assembly (for example, it becomes possible to form a continuous plane).
In addition, the ribs 645 are provided on the outer circumference surface of the second region 644 of the nozzle attachment section 64, and the ribs 625 are provided on the inner circumference surface of the outer ring section 623 of the nozzle 62. As described above, the ribs 625 and the ribs 645 are protruded from the surfaces. Such a configuration makes it possible to improve their durability because a region where the inner circumference surface of the outer ring section 623 slides on the outer circumference surface of the second region 644 when the engagement is made by snaps is substantially limited to the ribs 625 and the ribs 645.
In addition, the ribs 645 are formed on the curved portions protruding downward in the second region 644, and the ribs 625 are formed on the curved portions protruding downward in the outer ring section 623. In other words, the respective ribs are formed on portions having a relatively large area, and this makes it possible to improve degrees of freedom in the designs of the respective ribs.
In addition, the knob sections 6231 are formed on the curved portions protruding downward of the outer ring section 623. The knob sections 6231 functions as the antislip sections suppressing a slip of a finger in the circumferential direction. According to such a configuration, it becomes possible for the user to easily twist the nozzle 62 to cancel the engagement between the nozzle 62 and the nozzle attachment section 64.
Although details of the preferable embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the appended drawings, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be clear to a person of ordinary skill in the art of the present invention that various modifications and improvements may be obtained within the scope of the technical idea recited by the scope of the appended claims, and it should be understood that they will naturally come under the technical scope of the present invention.
This application is based on and claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/386,577, entitled “CONTAINER”, filed on Dec. 8, 2022, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63386577 | Dec 2022 | US |