Abstract:
A fluid container has a fixed delivery mechanism capable of moving a pusher piston forward to thereby discharge the contained fluid substance quantitatively through a discharge hole by a gentle push of a knob or cover and through a unidirectionally driven motion change mechanism. The container is capable of regulating the delivery amount by adjustment of the press stroke of a drive mechanism and also capable of squeezing out a large amount of the contained substance at one time by a short stroke push operation. Further embodiments of the container are provided having discharge action during both the press stroke and the return stroke by the recovery of a spring, whereby a double discharge amount is obtained and energy is saved.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a fluid container and, more particularly, to a push-knob fluid container capable of ejecting a fluid substance contained in the container in a fixed amount through an outlet pipe by pushing with a finger a knob provided at the top of the container cap. 
     A good many containers are available on the market for containing fluid substances, such as shampoo, washing cream and others. Since these containers are not generally of a type suitable for quantitative extraction of the contents, they must rely upon the observation and the sensation of pushing by the user to carefully release the contents for use. This is not only inconvenient in the manipulation and the use of the container, but because of excessive amount being squeezed out, this always results in wastage. Recently, there is known a kind of container where the fluid content can be extracted quantitatively by the push of a knob, such as the type of squeezable container for toothpaste. However, complicated constructions, relative difficulty in the production and higher cost are the drawbacks of this kind of container. 
     The invention has this for its aim the development of a push-knob fluid container solving the above known drawbacks. 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel push knob fluid container equipped with a fixed delivery mechanism, capable of moving a pusher piston forward to thereby deliver the contained fluid substance quantitatively through a discharge hole by a gentle push of a knob or the cover and through a unidirectionally driven motion change mechanism. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a push-knob fluid container suitable for receiving and packaging hygienically in entirety all kinds of milk, cream or liquid fluid matter while being capable of delivering quantitatively the contained substance by simple manipulation. 
     Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a push-knob fluid container capable of regulating the delivery amount by the adjustment of the press stroke of a drive mechanism and also capable of squeezing out a large amount of the contained substance at one time by a short stroke push manipulation. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a push-knob fluid container capable of discharge action during both the press stroke and the return stroke by the recovery of spring whereby a double discharge amount is obtained and energy is saved. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a push-knob fluid container capable of achieving the aforesaid efficacy with the most simplified assembly construction and at the lowest cost of production. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the invention may be best understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an external view of one embodiment of the fluid container of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the fluid container shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the fluid container shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the fluid container taken along the line I--I of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the fluid container taken along the line II--II of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the essential parts of the second embodiment of the fluid container; 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the essential parts of the third embodiment of the fluid container; 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the essential parts of the fourth embodiment of the fluid container; 
     FIGS. 9A and 9B are sectional views of the essential parts in two aspects of the fifth embodiment of the fluid container; 
     FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the sixth embodiment of the fluid container; 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the seventh embodiment of the fluid container; and 
     FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the essential parts of an embodiment of the push-knob having an adjustable press stroke. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the fluid container of the present invention are described in detail as follows. 
     With particular reference to FIGS. 1 through 4, the fluid container of the invention comprises essentially a normally cylindrical container body 1, a drive mechanism 2 disposed inside a drive chamber A at the upper end of the container body 1 and capable of converting linear motion into rotary movement, a driven mechanism 3 disposed likewise in the drive chamber A of the container body 1 and having a screw rod 32 extending into the bottom inside the container 1 and driven by the drive mechanism 2 to be unidirectionally rotatable, a discharge or delivery piston 4 formed of elastic resin and provided at the lower end of the screw rod 32 of the driven mechanism 3 and capable of ascending along the screw rod 32 following the rotation of the latter to push the contained matter out, and a push knob 5 mounted on the upper part of the container body 1. 
     The container body 1 has openings 11 and 12 at the upper and lower ends, the opening 11 at the upper end being covered with a cap 13, whereas at the lower end there is provided a cylindrical body having a bugle-shaped bottom seat 14. On the inner wall at the upper end portion of the main body 1 there is located a circular plate-like support seat 16 having at its center a hole 15a and on the circumference formed with a plurality of through holes 15, whereas in between this supporting seat 16 and the upper cap 13 there is appropriately formed the drive chamber A. A central hole 13a formed on the cap 13 is provided with a projecting square positioning guide groove 13b. 
     The drive mechanism 2, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, is located inside the drive chamber A and comprises a drive screw 21 of a large lead or lead angle and a drive pawl wheel 22 disposed at the lower end of the screw 21 and having a multiplicity of elastic pawls 24. This drive mechanism 2 is for converting the linear motion into rotary motion and drives the driven mechanism 3 to rotate. 
     The driven mechanism 3, as shown in FIG. 4, includes an internal pawl type ratchet wheel 31 disposed inside the drive chamber A and driven by the above pawl wheel 22 to be unidirectionally rotatable, and a guide screw rod 32 connected to the lower center of the ratchet wheel 31 and passing through the central hole 15a of the support seat 16 to extend into the lower end of the container body 1 for guiding the piston 4. The inside wall of the ratchet wheel 31 is provided with a plurality of unidirectional internal pawls 33 meshing with pawls 24 of the pawl wheel 22, whereas on a bottom plate thereof there is a plurality of penetration holes 34. 
     The delivery piston 4 is located in the interior of the container body 1, and when the container is filled with a contained fluid, the piston 4 is located at the lower part of the container body 1 and is screwed onto the lower end of the guide screw rod 32. As shown in FIG. 5, this piston comprises a cylindrical body 41 having its circumference closely touching the inside wall of the container body 1 and a metal nut member 44 embedded in the center of the upper or bottom wall of the piston body 41 and provided with a plurality of radially arranged internal pawls 42 and a plurality of external pawls 43. The internal pawls 42 of the nut member 44 mesh with the guide screw rod 32 and possess the function of a nut. The external pawls 43 are locked in engagement by their downwardly inclined angles and their elasticity at their ends with the inner circumferential wall of the container body 1, and are able to ascend readily along the said wall, but not descend. These external pawls 43 also will not rotate, but will shift unidirectionally only. In other words, the plurality of external pawls 43 has the function of stopping the descent so as to allow the piston 4 to ascend by the positive rotation of the guide screw rod 32. The piston 4, however, will not fall down because of the weight of the contained substance it is subjected to, nor will it turn reversely because of the reverse rotation of the drive pawls 22. In the place of the foregoing nut member 44, however, a nut may simply be used. 
     Push knob 5 comprises a head 51 having an L-shaped delivery pipe 52, a drive pipe 55 having a pipe orifice at an upper end connected to the delivery duct 52 of the head 51 and the lower end extending into the drive chamber A. The lower end is provided with a disc 54 having on its circumference a seal ring 53 and an axial guide ridge 58, a drive guide plate 56 mounted below the disc 54 of the drive pipe 55 and a knob-return spring 57 disposed in between the guide plate 56 and the drive pawl wheel 22. The drive guide plate 56 is defined in the center with a somewhat eight-shaped drive hole 59 screwed onto the upper end of the screw 21 of greater lead and is provided on its circumference with a plurality of through holes 50 capable of communicating with the drive pipe 55. Also, the guide plate 56 is constantly endowed with an upward pressure forcing the upper side of the disc 54 to press against the upper part inner side of the cap 13 by the force of the return spring 57. 
     The drive pawl wheel 22 and the driven ratchet wheel 31 described above constitute appropriately a unidirectionally rotating ratchet mechanism M. This is the unidirectional mechanism which, when the drive pawl wheel 22 rotates in the set direction, is capable of driving the driven ratchet wheel 31 and bringing the latter into rotation in the same direction by the pawls 24 and which, however, when the drive pawl wheel rotates in the reverse direction, will allow the pawls 24 to pass over the internal pawls 33 of the ratchet wheel 31 and not to drive the ratchet wheel 31. In order to reduce the frictional force between the bottom face of the pawl wheel 22 and the disc face of the ratchet wheel 31, the bottom face of the pawl wheel 22 preferably is provided at the center thereof with a small protuberance 25 to be engaged in a cavity 35 at the center of the ratchet wheel 31. In a separate arrangement, on the part of the central hole 15a of the support seat 16 there may also be formed a protuberance 17 to reduce the frictional force on the bottom face of the ratchet wheel 31. Below the protuberance 17 there may next be formed a downwardly extending cylindrical portion 18 to support the guide screw rod 32 permitting the latter to be more stable. Also in FIG. 3, preferably the screw rod 32 is provided at the upper part thereof with projections and the support seat 16 with an annular groove whereby the two can be engaged to each other so that in rotation the screw rod 32 will not separate and fall off from the support seat 16. 
     In the first embodiment described above, when the pawl wheel 22 rotates idly in the opposite direction, the frictional force produced in relation to the ratchet wheel 31 is set to be smaller than the frictional force needed to move the ratchet wheel 31 to rotate in the positive direction. For this reason, when the pawl wheel 22 rotates in the opposite direction, it will not bring the ratchet wheel 31 into rotation. At the same time, the engaging force between the external pawls 43 of the delivery piston 4 and the inner wall of the container will also make the ratchet wheel 31 not rotate in the opposite direction. However, to further ensure that the ratchet wheel 31 will not rotate in the reverse direction, as in the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 6, a fixed pawl wheel 19 having pawls directed oppositely to the pawls of the drive pawl wheel, similar to the aforesaid drive pawl wheel 22, maybe integrally formed above the support seat 16. The internal pawl portion 33 of the ratchet wheel 31 is allowed to extend downwardly to mesh with elastic pawls 19a of the fixed pawl wheel 19. In this way, during the positive rotation of the ratchet wheel 31 brought about by the pawl wheel 22, the pawls 33 of the ratchet wheel 31 are still able to slide over the elastic pawls 19a of the fixed pawl wheel 19. However, when the pawl wheel 22 rotates oppositely, this ratchet wheel 31 becomes pushed against by the pawls 19a and will not rotate. In fact, it is not necessary that the fixed pawl wheel 19 is of the same construction as the drive pawl wheel 22. Any elastic pawls, whether single pawls or double pawls, may be used in so far as the pawls have the same function and effect as the pawl wheel 19, that is, have the function to permit the ratchet wheel 31 to turn positively but prevent it from turning oppositely. In the first embodiment, again, the upper cap 13 is such that it covers superficially. It will also be possible to have a cap 13a of greater depth used if the height of the support seat 16 to the mouth of the container shortened as shown in FIG. 6. As to the joining of the upper cap 13 or 13a with the container body 1, in addition to the threaded connection, there may be applied a snap-on joint or any other appropriate joints. Furthermore, in the present embodiment the container body 1 and the upper cap 13 are of the same diameter. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates the third embodiment of the present invention, in which, in order to reduce the frictional resistance produced between the outer circumferential wall of the driven ratchet wheel 31 and the inner circumferential wall of the container body 1 during operation, there are formed one or several annular raised lines 36 on the outer circumferential wall of the ratchet wheel 31 of the ratchet wheel mechanism M. It is to be understood that such raised lines 36 may be appropriately applied in the embodiments above mentioned and in embodiments hereinbelow described. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the present invention, which shows no difference in the basic making from those of the foregoing embodiments except in that, in order that the push knob 5 is able to still use its energy effectively to continuously drive the ratchet wheel 31 to discharge substance after the push knob 5 has been pressed and as the knob 5 is returning to its original position by the return spring 57, two sets of ratchet wheel mechanisms are used here. Specifically speaking, here in the drive chamber A there are arranged two completely similar upper and lower opposite units of ratchet mechanisms M 1 , M 2 , each unit including a set of drive pawl wheels 22a, 22b and driven ratchet wheels 31a, 31b. The two driven ratchet wheels 31a, 31b are connected together as a single body with a cylindrical wall 37 and the return spring 57 is disposed in between the two upper and lower ratchet wheels 31a, 31b. The drive screw 21a passes through the upper cap 13, the two pawl wheels 22a, 22b and the ratchet wheels 31a, 31b and is provided on the upper end thereof with a push knob 5, whereas the lower end thereof extends into a hole on the upper end portion of a hollow guide screw rod 32. The drive screw 21a is also firmly provided half-way with a stepwise positioning guide plate 56 also functioning as a check plate to press against the lower side of the upper ratchet wheel 31a by means of the spring 57. The screw 21a, with this stepwise positioning check plate 56 as a mark is divided into an upper section S 1  having a right-handed thread or screw and a lower section S 2  forming the left screw, while at the same time, the guide screw rod 32 forms a right screw. In this way, when the screw 21a is pressed to move downwardly, the upper ratchet wheel mechanism M 1  is thus driven by the right screw S 1  of the upper section to turn positively thereby bringing the guide screw rod 32 into rightward rotation to further force the piston 4 to ascend. The lower ratchet wheel mechanism M 2  being driven by the left screw S 2  of the lower section, however, performs race rotation, that is, the lower pawl wheel 22b does not drive the lower ratchet wheel 31b. The screw 21a ascends by the force of the spring 57 when the push knob 5 is let go and during this time the lower ratchet wheel mechanism M 2 , being driven by screw S 2  of the lower section, is rotating in the rightward direction, while concurrently the upper ratchet wheel mechanism M 1  driven by the screw S 1  of the upper section performs race rotation. Hence, the guide screw rod 32 under the drive of the lower ratchet wheel mechanism M 2  continues to rotate in the rightward direction and the piston 4 is still able to ascend continuously and to press the contained substance until the stepwise positioning check plate 56 reaches and is in contact with the bottom face of the upper ratchet wheel 31a. The drive pawl wheels 22a, 22b have in their center eight-shaped holes so that they also function to drive the guide plate. In this embodiment, the upper portion of the container body 1 is provided near the drive chamber A with a discharge hole 52 passing into the interior of the container 1. Therefore, when the piston 4 ascends, the contained substance can be ejected out through the discharge hole 52. To adopt such a side delivery system, it is, however, preferred that the support seat 16 is formed in a closed body to avoid the contained substance entering into the drive chamber A. In the present embodiment, the moving mechanisms M 1 , M 2  inside the drive chamber A are able to perform even smoother and swifter actions. Apparently, the construction of the container with side discharging can also be applied in the above described first to third embodiments, in which it is only required that the container body 1 is provided on one side at the upper portion thereof with a discharge hole and the support seat 16 is made a closed body, and at the same time the push knob 5 is made a simple structure without the delivery pipe 52. In this way, it is possible to manufacture the drive mechanisms to be even more compact and handy so that the volume thereof occupying the container is reduced. 
     FIG. 9A shows a fifth embodiment of the push-knob fluid container of the present invention, in which a unidirectional crown gear mechanism is used in place of the aforesaid ratchet wheel mechanism M. In the present embodiment, the aforesaid drive pawl wheels 22, 22a and the driven ratchet wheels 31, 31a are essentially substituted by a drive gear 22b capable of driving unidirectionally only and a driven gear 31b, while other structures remain unchanged. In this embodiment, the discharge hole 52 is for side delivery, and hence a simple knob is used for the push knob 5, having no delivery pipe. FIG. 9B illustrates the fifth embodiment of the invention, in another aspect of variation, with the discharge hole 52 located in the push knob 5. 
     FIG. 10 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Whereas in all the foregoing embodiments the piston 4 has been described as being lifted up along the guide screw rod 32 under the weight of the contained substance to squeeze out the contained substance, in the present embodiment the piston 4 is mounted on the upper part of the guide screw rod 32. With the arrangement, when the guide screw rod 32 is driven by the ratchet wheel mechanism M the piston 4 is lowered along the guide screw rod 32 to squeeze the contained sustance for delivery through the discharge hole 52. Therefore, the piston 4 is normally not under the weight of the contained substance and thus enables its operation to be easier. In order to achieve the function, it is necessary that the container be appropriately modified and by this, the container body 1 is formed with a bottom 1a and the guide screw rod 32 is made into a hollow pipe having on the upper end openings passing into the drive chamber A. The support seat 16 is formed in a closed body and the threads on the guide screw rod 32 are formed to be opposite to the direction of rotation of the driven ratchet wheel 31. In this way, the piston 4 moves from up to down to squeeze the contained substance during the rotation of the guide screw rod 32. 
     A seventh embodiment according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 11, is another embodiment of the piston 4 pressing downwardly from the above. In this, the upper end of the guide screw rod 32 and the support seat 16 are closed, however, a hole 10 is defined on the bottom 1a of the container body 1. This hole 10 is connected with an L-shaped delivery pipe 52 to project outwardly after it has upwardly extended to the apex of the body along the bottom 1a of the container body and the outer side wall so that during the descent of the piston 4 it enables the contained substance to be squeezed and ejected out from this delivery pipe 52. 
     It is to be noted that the configuration of the embodiment in which the piston presses downwardly, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, can be also applied in the aforesaid first to fifth embodiments. 
     Now, the conditions of use of the push-knob squeeze container of the present invention will be described hereinbelow. 
     Given that the contained fluid substance, whether milky, cream like or solution type, is received in the container, all that is required now is only to press down the push knob 5. The push knob 5 immediately drives the ratchet wheel mechanisms M, M 1 , M 2  to rotate by the drive guide plate 56 working against the force of the spring 57. Immediately, the guide screw rod 32 is moved to rotate by the mechanisms M, M 1 , M 2  and following the rotating guide screw rod 32 the piston 4 moves either from top to bottom, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 9, or from bottom to top, as depicted in FIGS. 10 and 11, to squeeze out the contained substance through the delivery pipe 52. Because of the fixed pressing stroke of the push knob 5, the stroke of movement in the piston 4 is also fixed and there is thus a fixed amount discharged upon the pressing of the knob each time. 
     In the container of the present invention, in order that the amount discharged can be altered according to the necessity of the user, this can be achieved by a mere change of the travel of the push knob 5. In one of the possible configurations as shown in FIG. 12, the push knob 5 is provided at the lower part with a regulating nut 50a screwed onto a threaded portion 50b formed on the outer circumference of the pipe or rod projecting at the lower end thereof. By regulating the nut 50a it is possible to alter the pressing stroke S to further change the amount delivered. The amount delivered each time by the container is proportional to the length of the pressing stroke of the knob. Furthermore, the container body 1 is not to be limited to the cylindrical body, it is also possible if polygon cylinders such as hexagon cylinders, octagon cylinders, or other cylindrical bodies of appropriate shape are used. 
     For the piston 4, it is to be noted that the application of the above described is optional. Any type of construction is appropriate as long as the the piston is provided at its center with a nut member capable of being movably screwed onto the guide screw rod following the movement of the guide screw and the center and the circumference, are capable of keeping the contained substance from leaking and capable of closely touching, in opposite movement, the inner wall of the container body. 
     The foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and it should be understood that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.