JP7470372B2 - cap - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cap that is attached to a container.

A cap that can be attached to a container has a structure that includes a main body that can be attached to the container and a top lid that can be attached and detached by rotating it relative to the main body via a screw part. Also known is a cap that has an opening section on the main body that has a handle part also called a pull ring and has a thin weakened part formed all around its periphery. After opening the top lid, this cap is designed to separate the opening section from the main body and open by pulling up the pull ring and cutting the weakened part (also called a score) around the opening section.

However, with caps that have this type of opening section, the pull ring must be pulled up after the top lid is opened, which is time-consuming. In addition, the pull ring must be discarded after opening, which is also time-consuming. Because caps that have this type of opening section, also known as a pull ring, require a lot of work during and after opening, caps that do not have this type of pull ring or opening section have been proposed.

Caps equipped with a sealing band, also called a tamper-evident band, are already known (Patent Document 1, etc.). Here, the sealing band is attached in a connected state to the lower end of the outer wall of the top lid before opening, but when the cap (specifically, the top lid of the cap) is rotated to open it, the sealing band is cut from the lower end of the outer wall of the top lid and remains on the main body. Since the connection between the outer wall and the sealing band is cut when opening, a person performing the opening work by rotating the top lid can recognize that it has been opened by the suddenly reduced force required when rotating it and by hearing the sound generated when it is cut.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-62461 Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 7-28045

When opening a cap, the person performing this task grips the outer peripheral wall of the top lid and rotates it while applying force. However, in caps where a sealing band is connected to the lower end of the top lid, the area of the top lid that can be gripped is smaller by the height of the sealing band. Therefore, when performing this opening action, it can be difficult to grip the top lid or to apply force, which makes the opening action difficult and reduces operability. Furthermore, if the top lid is small, the reduction in operability can be significant.

On the other hand, for example, Patent Document 2 proposes a structure in which a sealing band is provided on the outer periphery of the lower end of the outer peripheral wall of the top lid, rather than below the lower end of the outer peripheral wall of the top lid, and is configured so that when the cap is rotated to open, the sealing band is cut from the outer periphery of the outer peripheral wall of the top lid and remains on the main body side. However, even with this structure, the lower end of the outer peripheral wall of the top lid cannot be grasped at this overlapping part of the top lid because the sealing band overlaps from the outside. Therefore, even in this case, it becomes difficult to hold the top lid and difficult to apply force when opening the cap, which may reduce operability.

The present invention aims to solve the above problems by providing a cap that allows easy recognition of when it has been opened and provides good operability during the opening operation.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cap comprising a main body that can be attached to a container, and a top lid that can be attached and detached by rotating relative to the main body, wherein the main body has a container attachment portion that can be attached to the container, a pouring tube that can pour out the contents in the container, a male thread that can be screwed into the female thread of the top lid, a weakened portion formed on the inside of the pouring tube, and a cut-out body provided on the inside of the weakened portion, and the top lid has a top surface, an outer peripheral wall, and a female thread that can be screwed into the male thread of the main body,
The upper lid and the cutter are each provided with an engagement portion that engages with each other by rotating the upper lid attached to the main body, and the upper lid is provided with an inner tube that can be brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the cutter and the inner periphery of the pouring tube, and the inner tube is a single tube .

In this configuration, when the top lid is rotated in an unopened state attached to the main body, the engagement parts of the top lid and the cutter engage with each other, and the weakened part formed on the inside of the pouring tube is cut. Therefore, when the top lid is rotated in the circumferential direction for initial opening of the top lid, the weakened part breaks during the rotation, reducing the force required for rotation, and the sound generated when the weakened part is cut can be heard, allowing the user to recognize that the top lid has been opened.
In addition, when the container is opened, the cut-out body is well held from the outside by the middle cylinder, and the contents inside the container are less likely to get in between the top lid and the cut-out body. Therefore, unlike the case where the container has an opening portion with a pull ring, it is not necessary to pull up the pull ring or discard the opening portion, and the effort required for opening the container can be minimized.

The present invention is also characterized in that, when the container is unopened, the lower end of the outer wall of the top lid abuts against the container attachment portion of the main body.

This configuration eliminates the need to provide a sealing band (tamper evident band) between the lower end of the outer wall of the top lid and the container attachment part of the main body, making it possible to expand the grippable area of the top lid. This allows the opening operation to be performed smoothly while maintaining good operability during the opening operation.

The present invention is also characterized in that the weakened portions are provided in a state in which the weakened portions connect the dispensing tube of the main body and the cutter body at multiple points in the circumferential direction of the dispensing tube, and there is a gap between adjacent weakened portions in the circumferential direction. With this configuration, the weakened portions can be easily cut with less force when opening the container, compared to when the weakened portions are formed around the entire inside circumference of the dispensing tube.

The present invention is also characterized in that the top lid is provided with an inner tube that hangs down from the top surface and can come into close contact with the cut-out body. With this configuration, when the container is opened, the inner tube can hold the cut-out body well from the inside and make it difficult for the contents inside the container to get between the top lid and the cut-out body. Therefore, unlike when the container has an opening portion with a pull ring, it is not necessary to pull up the pull ring or discard the opening portion, and the effort required for opening can be minimized.

The present invention is also characterized in that the inner cylinder is formed with a protruding portion protruding radially outward, the cut-out body has a base portion with a hole formed therein, the inner cylinder is inserted into the hole of the cut-out body from above, and after opening, the cut-out body is caught on the protruding portion and held in the inner cylinder . Note that a box-shaped container is preferable as the container to which the cap of the present invention is attached.

According to the cap of the present invention, the top lid and the cutter are each provided with an engagement portion that engages with each other when the top lid is rotated while attached to the main body, and the cutter is connected to the inside of the dispensing tube of the main body via a weakened portion. This means that when the top lid is rotated in the circumferential direction for initial opening, the weakened portion breaks during rotation, reducing the force required for rotation, and the user can recognize that the cap has been opened by hearing the sound generated when the weakened portion is broken. In addition, the inside of the dispensing tube of the main body, where the weakened portion is formed, is not touched by the hand when the top lid is gripped and rotated, so there is also the advantage that the cut part of the weakened portion does not come into contact with the hand when opening the cap, etc.

In addition, by configuring the lower end of the outer wall of the top lid to abut against the container attachment part of the main body when the container is unopened, and by not providing a sealing band (tamper-evident band) between the lower end of the outer wall of the top lid and the container attachment part of the main body, the area of the top lid that is gripped when opening is not reduced by the sealing band, and good operability can be maintained.

In addition, by providing the weakened sections with a circumferential gap between adjacent weakened sections, it is convenient because the weakened sections can be easily cut with little force when opening the bottle, compared to when the weakened sections are formed around the entire inside circumference of the pouring tube.

In addition, by providing the top lid with an inner tube that hangs down from the top surface and can fit tightly against the cut-off body, when the container is opened, the inner tube can hold the cut-off body well from the inside and make it difficult for the contents inside the container to get between the top lid and the cut-off body, improving reliability. Also, unlike when the container has an opening section with a pull ring, there is no need to pull up the pull ring or discard the opening section, minimizing the effort required for opening the container.

In addition, by providing the top lid with a middle cylinder that can fit tightly between the outer periphery of the cut body and the inner periphery of the dispensing tube, when the container is opened, the middle cylinder can hold the cut body well from the outside and make it difficult for the contents inside the container to get between the top lid and the cut body, improving reliability. Unlike when the container has an opening section with a pull ring, there is no need to pull up the pull ring or discard the opening section, minimizing the effort required for opening the container.

1 is a partially cutaway front view of a cap (unopened state) according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the main body of the cap. FIG. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the upper cover of the cap. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the upper lid of the cap. FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a main portion of the cap. IX-IX in FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion of the cap, showing the state before the top lid of the cap is rotated. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional plan view (cross-sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 1 ) of a main portion showing a state in which the top lid of the cap is rotated. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the cap with the top lid removed (opened state).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A cap according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
In Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a cap that is attached to a container 2 that contains contents (content liquid) therein. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the cap 1 comprises a main body 10, also called an inner plug, that can be attached to the container 2, and a top lid 20 that can be attached and detached by rotating with respect to the main body 10. The main body 10 and the top lid 20 are each manufactured by, for example, injection molding using a synthetic resin, and while a weakened portion 14 is cuttable when the cap is opened as described below, they also have the property of being elastically deformable.

The container 2 to which this cap 1 is attached is particularly preferably a paper, box-shaped container (paper liquid container) 2, also known as a paper carton, that holds liquid. However, this is not limited to this, and it can also be attached to containers made of materials other than paper or containers other than box-shaped. An attachment hole for attaching the cap 1 is formed in the top of the container 2, and the main body 10 of the container 2 is attached to the peripheral wall portion 2a of this attachment hole.

As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the main body 10 of the cap 1 has a container attachment part 11 that can be attached to the container 2, a pouring tube 12 that can pour out the contents in the container 2, a male thread 13 that can be screwed into the female thread 29 of the top lid 20, a weakened part 14 formed on the inside of the pouring tube 12, and a cut-out body 15 provided on the inside of the weakened part 14. Then, in the manufacturing process, the main body 10 having the container attachment part 11, the pouring tube 12, the male thread 13, the weakened part 14, and the cut-out body 15 is integrally formed by injection molding or the like.

The container mounting portion 11 is provided with a thin cylindrical mounting base 11a that is fitted into the peripheral wall portion 2a of the mounting hole of the container 2, a flange-like portion 11b that extends from the lower end of the mounting base 11a to the outer periphery in a flange-like manner and is attached to the lower surface of the peripheral wall portion 2a of the container 2, and elastically deformable assembly protrusions 11c that are formed in pairs at appropriate intervals in the circumferential direction of the mounting base 11a, protrude from the upper surface of the thick portion of the peripheral wall portion 2a of the container 2, and are assembled to the inside of the peripheral wall portion 2a of the container 2 so as to grip the thick portion of the peripheral wall portion 2a from above and from the inside. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, etc., a thin-walled step portion 11d that protrudes with a thin thickness is formed on the upper surface of the mounting base 11a corresponding to the location where the assembly protrusion 11c is provided on the upper surface of the mounting base 11a, but this thin-walled step portion 11d may be provided as necessary (thin-walled step portion 11d may not be provided).

The dispensing tube 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending upward from the inner peripheral portion of the mounting base 11a, and a male thread 13 is formed on the outer periphery of the dispensing tube 12. In addition, a weakened portion 14 is formed near the upper portion on the inside of the dispensing tube 12, and a cutout body 15 is provided (integrally formed) with a gap between them on the inside of the dispensing tube 12 via the weakened portion 14.

Here, the weakened portion 14 is not provided around the entire circumference of the inside of the pouring tube 12, but is provided in such a way that the weakened portion 14 connects the pouring tube 12 and the cut-out body 15 of the main body 10 at multiple points in the circumferential direction of the pouring tube 12, and that adjacent weakened portions 14 have gaps in the circumferential direction (i.e., at appropriate intervals in the circumferential direction of the pouring tube 12). In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the weakened portion 14 is provided every 45 degrees in the circumferential direction. That is, the weakened portion 14 is formed in a thin-walled state in the vertical direction and also in the circumferential direction, and the cut-out body 15 is connected to the upper part of the inner surface of the pouring tube 12 in a so-called bridge shape by the weakened portion 14. The pouring tube 12 and the cut-out body 15 are not connected at points other than the weakened portion 14, and the pouring tube 12 and the cut-out body 15 are arranged with a gap.

The cutout body 15 has a disk-shaped base portion 15a with a circular cutout in the center to form a hole 15e (see FIG. 4), a protrusion 15b protruding inward from the inner circumference of the base portion 15a, a cylindrical inner peripheral standing portion 15c extending upward from the inner circumference of the base portion 15a, so-called rib-shaped engagement portions 15d extending up and down while protruding radially outward from the inner peripheral standing portion 15c and provided at appropriate angles in the circumferential direction (in this embodiment, six are provided at 60° in the circumferential direction), and a cylindrical outer peripheral standing portion 15f extending upward from the outer circumference of the base portion 15a. In this embodiment, the outer peripheral standing portion 15f is provided lower than the inner peripheral standing portion 15c, but this is not limited to this.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, 6, 7, etc., the upper cover 20 of the cap 1 has a generally disk-shaped top plate portion 21, a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 23 extending downward from the outer periphery of the top plate portion 21 via an inclined surface portion 22, a female thread 29 formed on the inside of the outer peripheral wall 23, a cylindrical inner tube 24 hanging down (extending downward) from a portion near the inner periphery of the top plate portion 21, a cylindrical middle tube 25 hanging down (extending downward) from a portion near the outer periphery of the top plate portion 21, a cylindrical support tube 26 hanging down (extending downward) from a portion between the connection point of the inner tube 24 and the connection point of the middle tube 25 on the top plate portion 21, and so-called rib-shaped engagement portions 27 extending up and down while protruding radially inward from the support tube 26 and provided at appropriate angles in the circumferential direction (in this embodiment, they are provided in a total of six places every 60 degrees in the circumferential direction). In the manufacturing process, the top cover 20, which includes the top plate 21, inclined surface 22, outer wall 23, inner cylinder 24, middle cylinder 25, support cylinder 26, and engagement portion 27, is integrally formed by injection molding or the like.

1 shows the cap 1 in an unopened state, and as shown in FIG. 1, in the unopened state, the lower end 23a of the outer peripheral wall 23 of the top lid 20 abuts against the container mounting portion 11 of the main body 10. More specifically, in this embodiment, the lower end 23a of the outer peripheral wall 23 abuts directly against the thin-walled step portion 11d formed on the container mounting portion 11 of the main body 10. That is, no sealing band (tamper-evident band) is provided between the lower end 23a of the outer peripheral wall 23 of the top lid 20 and the container mounting portion 11 of the main body 10. Also, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 23 of the top lid 20 has a number of uneven grooves extending in the vertical direction in the circumferential direction to form a so-called knurled portion, which is designed to make it difficult to slip when gripped and rotated. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the top plate portion 21 of the top lid 20 is shown by an arrow 28 to indicate the direction of rotation when opening or unpacking the top lid 20.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the engagement portion 27 of the top cover 20 is formed so as to protrude radially inward from the support tube 26, as described above. Correspondingly, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the engagement portion 15d is formed on the cutout body 15 of the main body 10 so as to protrude radially outward from the inner peripheral standing portion 15c of the cutout body 15 of the main body 10. As shown in Figures 8 to 10, when the top cover 20 is rotated, the engagement portion 27 of the top cover 20 abuts and engages with the engagement portion 15d of the main body 10 in the circumferential direction.

That is, as shown in Figures 8 to 10, when the top lid 20 is rotated in the direction of arrow 28 (opening direction) to open the unopened container 2 (to initially open the top lid 20), the engagement portion 27 of the top lid 20 engages with the engagement portion 15d provided on the cutter 15 of the main body 10 in the circumferential direction, causing the cutter 15 to rotate together with the top lid 20, thereby cutting the weakened portion 14.

As shown in Figs. 1, 6, 8, etc., the lower end of the inner tube 24 of the top cover 20 has a protruding portion 24a that protrudes slightly radially outward. In the manufacturing and assembly process, the top cover 20 is plugged from above into the main body 10, so that it is relatively pushed downward and attached. During this plugging process, the protruding portion 24a of the inner tube 24 of the top cover 20 overcomes the protruding portion 15b of the cut-out body 15 of the main body 10 and comes into contact with the recessed portion 24b above the protruding portion 24a of the inner tube 24 (close contact state). On the other hand, as described above, after the weakened portion 14 is cut when opening, the protruding portion 24a of the inner tube 24 of the top cover 20 prevents the cut-out body 15 from moving downward, and as a result, the cut-out body 15 is held from the inside by the inner tube 24 of the top cover 20.

As shown in Figures 1 and 8, during the manufacturing and assembly process, when the top lid 20 is capped, the middle tube 25 is sandwiched between the outer periphery of the cut-out body 15 and the inner periphery of the pouring tube 12 and is in close contact with each other. Then, as described above, after the weakened portion 14 is cut when opening, the cut-out body 15 is held from the outside by the middle tube 25 of the top lid 20.

In the above configuration, when opening, the top lid 20 is rotated while still attached to the main body 10, so that the engagement parts 15d and 27 on the cutter 15 and top lid 20 engage with each other, and the weakened part 14 formed on the inside of the pouring tube 12 is cut. Therefore, when the top lid 20 is rotated in the circumferential direction for initial opening of the top lid 20, the weakened part 14 breaks during the rotation, reducing the force required for rotation, and the sound generated when cutting can be heard to recognize that the top lid 20 has been opened. In addition, since the weakened parts 14 are provided with a gap between adjacent weakened parts 14 in the circumferential direction, the weakened parts 14 can be easily cut with less force when opening, compared to when the weakened parts 14 are formed around the entire inside circumference of the pouring tube 12, which is convenient.

In addition, according to the above configuration, since no sealing band (tamper evident band) is provided between the lower end 23a of the outer peripheral wall 23 of the top lid 20 and the container attachment portion 11 of the main body 10, the grippable area of the top lid 20 can be expanded compared to the conventional case in which a sealing band is provided, and the opening operation can be performed smoothly while maintaining good operability during the opening operation. In other words, if a sealing band (tamper evident band) is provided between the lower end of the outer peripheral wall of the top lid and the container attachment portion of the main body as in the conventional case, the grippable area of the top lid is reduced by the height of the sealing band, making it difficult to grip the top lid or to apply force, which reduces operability, but this configuration does not cause such problems.

In addition, according to the above configuration, since the weakened portion 14 is formed on the inside of the dispensing tube 12 of the main body 10, there is also the advantage that the cut portion of the weakened portion 14 does not come into contact with the hand even after the weakened portion 14 is cut. In other words, if a sealing band is provided below the lower end of the outer peripheral wall of the top lid as in the conventional case, the cut portion of the sealing band may come into contact with the hand when opening or closing the top lid, causing an uncomfortable feeling. In contrast, according to the above configuration, the weakened portion 14 is formed on the inside of the dispensing tube 12, and this portion does not come into contact with the hand, so the cut portion of the weakened portion 14 does not come into contact with the hand, causing an uncomfortable feeling.

In addition, with the above configuration, after opening, the cut-out body 15 is held by the inner tube 24 and the middle tube 25, so there is no need to pull up the pull ring or discard the intended opening portion as in the conventional case where the intended opening portion has a pull ring, and the effort required for opening can be minimized. In addition, after opening, the cut-out body 15 is held in close contact with the inner tube 24 and the middle tube 25, which has the advantage that the contents of the container 2 are less likely to seep into the gap between the cut-out body 15 and the top plate portion 21 of the top lid 20.

In the above embodiment, the cut body 15 is held by the inner tube 24 and the middle tube 25 after opening, but this is not limited to the above. The cut body 15 may be held by only the inner tube 24 after opening, or by only the middle tube 25 after opening.

In the above embodiment, the container 2 is box-shaped. In this case, the top lid 20 is often small, and the area for gripping the top lid 20 is unlikely to become small, providing good operability. However, this is not limited to this, and the container 2 may be other than a box-shaped container.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Cap 2 Container 10 Body 11 Container attachment portion 12 Spout tube 13 Male thread 14 Weakened portion 15 Cut-out body 15a Base portion 15b Projection 15c Inner peripheral upright portion 15d Engagement portion 15f Outer peripheral upright portion 20 Top lid 21 Top plate portion 23 Outer peripheral wall 24 Inner tube 25 Middle tube 26 Support tube 27 Engagement portion 29 Female thread

Claims (6)

A cap having a main body that can be attached to a container and a top lid that can be attached and detached by rotating relative to the main body,
The main body has a container attachment part that can be attached to the container, a pouring tube that can pour out the contents in the container, a male screw that can be screwed into the female screw of the upper lid, a weakened part formed on the inside of the pouring tube, and a cutout body provided on the inside of the weakened part,
The upper cover has a top surface, an outer peripheral wall, and a female thread that can be screwed into the male thread of the main body,
The top cover and the cutter are each provided with an engagement portion that engages with each other by rotating the top cover when attached to the main body ,
The upper cover is provided with a middle cylinder that can be brought into close contact with the outer periphery of the cut-out body and the inner periphery of the pouring cylinder;
A cap characterized in that the center tube is a single tube . The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that, in an unopened state, the lower end of the outer wall of the upper lid abuts against the container attachment portion of the main body. The cap according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the weakened parts are provided in such a way that the weakened parts connect the dispensing tube of the main body and the cutter at multiple points in the circumferential direction of the dispensing tube, and that adjacent weakened parts are provided with gaps in the circumferential direction. A cap as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the top cover is provided with an inner tube that hangs down from the top surface and can be brought into close contact with the cut-out body. The inner cylinder is formed with a protruding portion that protrudes radially outward,
The cutout has a base portion with a hole formed therein;
The inner cylinder is inserted into the hole of the cutout from above,
5. The cap according to claim 4, wherein after opening, the cut-off body is caught on the protruding portion and held in the inner cylinder. 6. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the container is a box-shaped container.

Images