The present invention relates to a pump dispenser, and more particularly to a waterproof-type pump dispenser that is mounted to a container containing liquid contents and that is capable of suctioning/pumping the liquid contents to discharge the same outside through repeated pressing of a push head.
In general, a container, which stores liquid contents, such as cosmetics, in the form of liquid or paste, shampoo, rinse, or the like, is equipped with a pump dispenser, which discharges the contents in a predetermined amount using air pressure.
A conventional pump dispenser, as illustrated in
The pumping unit 20 includes a cap 21, which is mounted on the neck of the container 10 in a thread-coupling manner, a cylinder 22, which is centrally disposed in the cap 21 and has therein a pressure chamber 22a, a ball valve 24, which is provided in a suction port 23 formed in the lower end of the cylinder 22, a coil spring 25, which is mounted in the pressure chamber 22a in the cylinder 22, a hollow piston shaft 26, which has a lower end portion received in the cylinder 22 so as to be movable upwards or downwards and which is elastically supported by the coil spring 25, a piston 27, which is provided so as to surround the lower end portion of the piston shaft 26 and which has a periphery closely contacting the inner wall of the cylinder 22, and a locking member 28, which is fixedly coupled to the upper end of the cylinder 22, which penetrates the top surface of the cap 21 and extends upwards, and which has a female thread 28a formed in the inner wall thereof. The push head 30 is coupled to the upper end of the piston shaft 26 in a fitting manner, and has a male thread 32 formed at the lower portion thereof so as to mesh with the female thread 28a of the locking member 28 to maintain a locked state.
In the conventional pump dispenser configured as described above, if the push head 30 is pushed with the hand, the piston shaft 26 overcomes the elastic force of the coil spring 25 and moves downwards, whereby the liquid contents occupying the pressure chamber 22a in the cylinder 22 move into the internal space in the piston shaft 26, and are subsequently discharged outside through the discharge passage 31 in the push head 30. At this time, the ball valve 24 is brought into contact with the suction port 23 by the downward pressure of the contents in the cylinder 22 and interrupts communication between the pressure chamber 22a and the interior of the container 10. If, however, the hand is taken off the push head 30, the piston shaft 26 moves upwards due to the elastic support force of the coil spring 25, the discharge of the contents is interrupted, and a vacuum is formed in the pressure chamber 22a in the cylinder 22. Thus, a portion of the liquid contents stored in the container 10 causes the ball valve 24 to move upwards and is suctioned and fills the pressure chamber 22a again. At this time, external air is introduced into the container 10 through an air hole 29, which is formed in the wall of the cylinder 22, and fills the space from which the contents have been drawn out. The liquid contents in the container 10 are discharged in a predetermined amount through the operation of repeatedly pushing the push head 30.
A product equipped with this conventional pump dispenser is distributed in the market in the initial state, in which the push head 30 is locked to the female thread 28a of the locking member 28, and can be used by unlocking the push head 30. Thus, in the case in which a product equipped with the conventional pump dispenser is used in a bathroom or the like, water (foreign substances) may be introduced into the upper portion of the cylinder 22 through a gap between the locking member 28 and the piston shaft 26, and may be subsequently introduced into the container 10 through the air hole 29, which may cause deterioration of the contents. This phenomenon occurs because the locking member 28 for locking the push head 30 during product distribution in the market is exposed outside the cap 20, and thus a gap, through which foreign substances may be introduced, is created.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a waterproof-type pump dispenser that has an improved locking structure of a push head and a piston shaft, thereby more securely maintaining a locked state and preventing foreign substances (water) from being introduced from the outside into the upper space in a cylinder.
In addition, it is another object of the present invention to provide a waterproof-type pump dispenser that ensures more accurate ascending/descending operation of a push head while preventing the introduction of external foreign substances.
In accordance with the present invention, the above objects can be accomplished by the provision of:
a waterproof-type pump dispenser mounted to a neck of a container and configured to suction and pump liquid contents to discharge the same outside,
the waterproof-type pump dispenser including: a cap mounted to the neck of the container in a thread-coupling manner, the cap having a cylindrical-shaped first waterproof wall protruding from the center of the top surface thereof; a cylinder centrally mounted in the cap, the cylinder being formed in the shape of a hopper having a pressure chamber formed therein to suction and temporarily store the contents and a suction port formed in a lower portion thereof and configured to be connected with a suction tube in a fitting manner; a check valve mounted in the suction port in the cylinder to open or close the suction port; a hollow piston shaft having a lower end portion located in the cylinder so as to be movable upwards or downwards, an upper end portion penetrating the first waterproof wall and extending upwards, a discharge passage formed therein in the longitudinal direction thereof, and locking protrusions protruding from the outer wall of the upper end portion thereof; a piston coupled to the lower end portion of the hollow piston shaft 240 in a fitting manner so as to ascend or descend together therewith, the piston being configured to open or close a communication hole formed in the lower end portion of the hollow piston shaft, and having a periphery closely contacting the inner wall of the cylinder; a cylindrical-shaped locking bushing having a lower end portion coupled to an open upper portion of the cylinder in a fitting manner, an upper end portion accommodated in the first waterproof wall of the cap, guide grooves formed in the inner wall of the upper end portion thereof in the longitudinal direction thereof, the guide grooves being arranged opposite each other to receive the locking protrusions therein and to guide ascending/descending movement of the hollow piston shaft, and twist-locking grooves extending from the lower ends of the guide grooves in a circumferential direction so that, when the hollow piston shaft is pushed down to the maximum extent and is subsequently rotated at a predetermined angle, the locking protrusions are caught in the twist-locking grooves and the hollow piston shaft gets locked; a coil spring having a lower end caught and supported by the lower end portion of the locking bushing and an upper end supported by the upper end portion of the hollow piston shaft, the coil spring being configured to elastically support the hollow piston shaft in an upward direction; and a push head mounted on the upper end portion of the hollow piston shaft so as to ascend or descend together therewith, the push head having a dispensing port formed in an upper portion thereof so as to communicate with the discharge passage in the hollow piston shaft and a cylindrical-shaped second waterproof wall formed at a lower portion thereof so as to surround the outer periphery of the first waterproof wall of the cap.
In addition, according to the present invention, the locking bushing has a cylindrical-shaped moving guide integrally formed with the inner wall of the lower end portion thereof, the lower end of the coil spring is caught and supported by the moving guide, and the moving guide has an inner surface contacting the outer wall of the hollow piston shaft to guide the ascending/descending movement of the hollow piston shaft.
According to the waterproof-type pump dispenser of the present invention configured as described above, since the outer periphery of the first waterproof wall of the cap is shielded by the second waterproof wall of the push head at all times, it is possible to prevent foreign substances (water or the like) from being introduced into the cylinder from the outside. Further, when the push head is repeatedly pushed down, the push head ascends or descends in the state in which the second waterproof wall surrounds the first waterproof wall, and thus the ascending/descending movement thereof is more accurately realized. Still further, since the hollow piston shaft smoothly and accurately ascends or descends along the guide grooves and the moving guide of the locking bushing, it is possible to operate the push head with less pressing force.
In addition, according to the waterproof-type pump dispenser of the present invention, since the hollow piston shaft is locked in the locking grooves by pushing down the hollow piston shaft to the maximum extent and rotating the same at a predetermined angle (in the locking direction) via the push head, a phenomenon in which the contents stored in the container leak (a liquid leakage phenomenon) is prevented while the product is distributed in the market or is carried, thereby further improving the reliability of the product. In particular, since the locking bushing is mounted inside the cap, the pump dispenser is provided with a locking function without marring the aesthetic appearance of the product.
Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Describing the accompanying drawings in brief,
<Description of Configuration of Waterproof-Type Pump Dispenser According to Present Invention>
As illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
The check valve 230 serves to selectively open or close the suction port 222 in the cylinder 220. In the embodiment of the present invention, the check valve 230 is configured as a steel ball, and opens or closes the suction port 222 in response to the ascending/descending movement of the hollow piston shaft 240 and the piston 250.
Referring to
The piston 250 is coupled to the lower end portion of the hollow piston shaft 240 in a fitting manner. The piston 250 ascends or descends together with the hollow piston shaft 240 in the state in which the periphery thereof closely contacts the inner wall of the cylinder 220, and opens or closes the communication hole 242 in the hollow piston shaft 240. That is, an inner lip 251 of the piston 250 selectively opens or closes the communication hole 242 in response to the internal pressure in the pressure chamber 221.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
<Description of Operation and Operational Effects of Waterproof-Type Pump Dispenser According to Present Invention>
Hereinafter, the operation and corresponding operational effects of the waterproof-type pump dispenser according to the present invention, configured as described above, will be described with reference to
First, in the initial state of the waterproof-type pump dispenser 200, as illustrated in
In this state, if the push head 280 is pushed down, as illustrated in
If the push head 280 is released, as illustrated in
During the ascending/descending movement of the push head 280 as well as in the upwardly biased state thereof, since the first waterproof wall 212 of the cap 210 is shielded by the second waterproof wall 282 of the push head 280, it is possible to prevent foreign substances (water) from being introduced into the cylinder 220 from the outside. In addition, since the hollow piston shaft 240 smoothly and accurately ascends or descends along the guide grooves 261 and the moving guide 264 of the locking bushing 260, it is possible to operate the push head 280 with less pressing force.
Meanwhile, the hollow piston shaft 240 and the push head 280 are easily locked by pushing down the hollow piston shaft 240 to the maximum extent and rotating the same at a predetermined angle (in the locking direction) via the push head 280. That is, as illustrated in
In conclusion, since the hollow piston shaft 240 is locked using the locking bushing 260, a phenomenon in which the contents A stored in the container 100 leak (a liquid leakage phenomenon) is prevented while the product is distributed in the market or is carried, thereby further improving the reliability of the product. In particular, since the locking bushing 260 is mounted inside the cap 210, the pump dispenser 200 is provided with a locking function without marring the aesthetic appearance of the product. In addition, even when the hollow piston shaft 240 is in a locked state using the locking bushing 260, the first waterproof wall 212 of the cap 210 is completely shielded by the second waterproof wall 282 of the push head 280, thereby fundamentally preventing foreign substances from being introduced into the cylinder 220 from the outside.
The present invention can be widely used in a waterproof-type pump dispenser field that is capable of dispensing liquid contents stored in a container in a predetermined amount using air pressure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2017-0091110 | Jul 2017 | KR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/KR2017/009949 | 9/11/2017 | WO | 00 |