JP7501897B2 - Integrated bottle cap - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to technology for bottle caps, and more specifically to an integrated bottle cap that is attached to the cylindrical mouth of a liquid container for a water server.

In recent years, water servers have been proposed that connect a liquid container filled with a liquid such as drinking water and dispense the drinking water from the liquid container through a spout. Normally, the liquid container connected to this type of water server is used with a bottle cap attached to its cylindrical mouth, and when the liquid container is connected to the water server, the water supply shaft of the water server is inserted into the liquid container through the bottle cap, and the drinking water in the liquid container is supplied to the spout through the water supply shaft without leaking outside the machine.

As disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, a conventional bottle cap is composed of a main body member having a cylindrical bearing portion disposed in the center into which the water supply shaft of a water server is inserted, and a water stop member disposed at the open end of the bearing portion on the liquid container side, and with the bearing portion protruding into the cylindrical mouth portion, the outer edge of the main body member elastically deforms to match the shape of the cylindrical mouth portion and is fixed to the outer periphery of the cylindrical mouth portion. When the liquid container is connected to the water server, the tip of the water supply shaft is fitted into the water stop member, and the water supply shaft is inserted into the liquid container via the bearing portion. On the other hand, when the liquid container is removed from the water server, the water stop member is fitted into the open end of the bearing portion on the liquid container side.

JP 2017-132477 A

However, in the conventional bottle caps described above, the main body member (bearing portion) and the water-stopping member are formed separately, and the water-stopping member is fitted into the open end of the bearing portion on the liquid container side to maintain water-stopping. Therefore, if the water-stopping member is not properly fitted to the bearing portion, the water-stopping member may fall into the liquid container under its own weight, or drinking water in the liquid container may leak out through a gap. In addition, a work process is required to fit the separate water-stopping member into the main body member (bearing portion), which is an obstacle to reducing costs when manufacturing bottle caps.

Therefore, the present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems with bottle caps and provide an integrated bottle cap that can prevent leakage of drinking water from inside a liquid container at low cost.

The problem to be solved by the present invention has been described above, and the means for solving this problem will now be described.
That is, in claim 1, there is provided an integrated bottle cap which is attached to a cylindrical mouth of a liquid container for a water server, the cap comprising: a main body which is elastically deformed to fit the shape of the cylindrical mouth and inserted therein; a cylindrical bearing which is disposed at the centre of the main body; and a water-stopping portion which is held at the opening end of the bearing which faces the liquid container and which is integrally formed with the bearing at the opening end of the outer wall of the cylindrical main body via a thin-walled portion , the water-stopping portion being continuous with the opening end face of the outer wall at the inner peripheral edge of the opening end of the bearing via the thin-walled portion which is a weak point which is extremely thinner than the thickness of the bearing and the water- stopping portion, the thin-walled portion being broken when pressed by a water supply shaft of the water server inserted into the bearing and being peeled off from the bearing, and when the liquid container is removed from the water server, the opening end face of the outer wall is watertightly engaged with an engaging protrusion provided on the inner peripheral surface of the bearing, thereby being held within the shaft hole .

In claim 2, the thin-walled portion is formed between the starting point of a chamfer formed on the inner peripheral edge of the opening end of the bearing portion on the liquid container side and the cylindrical opening end of the water stop portion.

In a third aspect of the present invention , the water stop portion is provided with a holding projection that projects from a cylindrical opening end and is capable of engaging with a tip end of the water supply shaft.

The effect of the present invention is that it is possible to prevent leakage of drinking water from a liquid container at low cost.

1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an integrated cap for a bottle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an integrated bottle cap. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the integrated bottle cap of FIG. 2 . 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an integrated bottle cap is attached to a cylindrical mouth portion. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a liquid container is connected to the water server. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the water server with the liquid container removed. FIG.

Next, we will explain the embodiment of the invention. In the following embodiment, the direction of the arrow X is the up-down direction of the bottle cap.

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the integrated bottle cap 1 of this embodiment is a cap member that is removably attached to the cylindrical mouth 10 of a liquid container for a water server, and specifically, is composed of a main body 2 that is elastically deformed to fit the shape of the cylindrical mouth 10 and inserted, a cylindrical bearing 3 disposed at the center of the main body 2, and a water stopper 4 that is held at the open end of the bearing 3 on the liquid container side. In addition, the integrated bottle cap 1 of this embodiment is formed such that the main body 2, bearing 3, and water stopper 4 are integrally formed.

The cylindrical mouth 10 protrudes from one side of a liquid container (not shown) configured as a cartridge container filled with a liquid such as drinking water, and the liquid container is connected to a water server with the integrated bottle cap 1 attached to the cylindrical mouth 10. The open end of the cylindrical mouth 10 is chamfered into a gentle R-shape, and a protrusion 12 is formed that protrudes radially from the outer periphery, so that the integrated bottle cap 1 can be easily attached to the cylindrical mouth 10. The protrusion 12 fits into an attachment recess 21a formed in the main body 2, which will be described later, with the integrated bottle cap 1 attached to the cylindrical mouth 10.

The main body 2 is integrally formed with a top surface 20 that forms the top surface, an outer edge 21 formed on the periphery of the top surface 20, and an inner edge 22 that stands upright from the top surface 20 in the vertical direction of the integrated bottle cap 1 (the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 2). A label member (not shown) for closing the opening of the bearing 3 is attached to the top surface 20.

The outer edge 21 is continuous with the periphery of the top surface 20 and is formed into a thin cylindrical shape with a circular cross section. On the inner circumferential surface, a mounting recess 21a is formed along the circumferential direction into which the protrusion 12 of the cylindrical mouth 10 fits. When the integrated bottle cap 1 is attached to the cylindrical mouth 10 (see Figure 4), it elastically deforms to match the shape of the cylindrical mouth 10 and is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface.

The inner edge 22 is continuous with the top surface 20 and is erected in a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section that is concentric with the outer edge 22, and a water-stopping rib 22a is formed along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface. With the outer edge 21 and inner edge 22 formed in this way, when the integrated bottle cap 1 is attached to the cylindrical mouth 10 (see FIG. 4), the opening end (projection 12) of the cylindrical mouth 10 is inserted between the inner peripheral surface of the outer edge 21 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner edge 22 and fitted into the mounting recess 21a. At that time, the outer edge 21 is elastically deformed to match the shape of the opening end (projection 12) of the cylindrical mouth 10, and the water-stopping rib 22a of the inner edge 22 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical mouth 10, so that the cylindrical mouth 10 is sandwiched between the inner peripheral surface of the outer edge 21 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner edge 22, and the main body member 2 is attached to the cylindrical mouth 10 in a watertight state.

The bearing portion 3 is disposed at the center of the top surface portion 20, and in the integrated bottle cap 1 of this embodiment, is formed integrally with the main body portion 2. The bearing portion 3 has an axial hole 30 formed inside the cylindrical portion into which the water supply shaft 11 is inserted, and is open on the top surface side (hereinafter referred to as the "water supply shaft insertion side") and the opposite side (hereinafter referred to as the "liquid container side"). The water stop portion 4, which will be described later, is held at the open end on the liquid container side of the bearing portion 3 (the lower side in FIG. 2), and the water stop portion 4 (and the thin-walled portion 33) closes the axial hole 30.

The inner peripheral surface of the bearing portion 3 is provided with an engagement protrusion 31 that protrudes so as to be able to engage with the water stop portion 4. The engagement protrusion 31 is formed along the circumferential direction as a protrusion that bulges out from the inner peripheral surface of the bearing portion 3 toward the center, and when the liquid container is removed from the water server, the outer peripheral wall 41 of the water stop portion 4 inserted into the axial hole 30 of the bearing portion 3 engages with the engagement protrusion 31. In addition, the side wall of the engagement protrusion 31 on the water supply shaft insertion side is formed in a tapered shape, and is shaped so as to reduce resistance with the water supply shaft 11 inserted into the axial hole 30 of the bearing portion 3 when connecting the liquid container to the water server.

The bearing 3 is formed so that the inner diameter of the shaft hole 30 is larger than the outer diameter of the water supply shaft 11 (see FIG. 5, etc.), and as described above, the engaging protrusion 31 is provided in a protruding shape on the inner peripheral surface of the bearing 3. When a liquid container is connected to the water server, the outer peripheral surface of the water supply shaft 11 inserted into the shaft hole 30 of the bearing 3 and the engaging protrusion 31 are pressed against each other in a watertight state, thereby holding the water supply shaft 11 in a watertight state.

The open end of the bearing 3 on the liquid container side has a chamfered inner periphery 32, which is designed to facilitate insertion of the water stopper 4 into the axial hole 30 of the bearing 3 when the liquid container is removed from the water server.

The water stop part 4 is integrally formed and held via a thin-walled portion 33 at the opening end of the bearing part 3 on the liquid container side (see Figures 2 and 3, etc.). The thin-walled portion 33 is formed along the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the bearing part 3 from the starting point on the inside of the axial hole 30 of the chamfered portion 32, and is continuous with the edge of the cylindrical opening end of the water stop part 4 via the thin-walled portion 33. The thin-walled portion 33 is provided as a weak point that is much thinner than the wall thickness (wall thickness) of the bearing part 3 and the water stop part 4, and is formed so that it breaks when the water stop part 4 is pressed by the water supply shaft 11, and the water stop part 4 can be easily peeled off from the bearing part 3.

The water stop portion 4 is integrally formed with the bearing portion 3 via the thin-walled portion 33 at the open end of the outer peripheral wall 41 of the cylindrical body 40 formed into a bottomed cylindrical body, and is held protruding from the bearing portion 3 so that the cylindrical open end faces into the axial hole 30 of the bearing portion 3. The water stop portion 4 is formed so that the outer diameter of the cylindrical body 40 is at least larger than the outer diameter of the water supply shaft 11, and when inserted into the axial hole 30 of the bearing portion 3 together with the water supply shaft 11, the outer peripheral wall 41 engages with the engagement protrusion 31 of the bearing portion 3, and the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 41 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the bearing portion 3.

The cylindrical opening end of the water stopper 4 (of the cylindrical body 40) is provided with a retaining protrusion 42 that protrudes and can engage with the recessed portion 11a formed at the tip of the water supply shaft 11. The retaining protrusion 42 is formed along the circumferential direction as a protrusion that bulges out toward the center from the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 41. With the water stopper 4 held at the opening end on the liquid container side of the bearing 3, the tip of the water supply shaft 11 inserted into the bearing 3 is inserted into the cylindrical opening end, and the retaining protrusion 42 engages with the recessed portion 11a, making the water stopper 4 one with the water supply shaft 11 (see FIG. 5).

As shown in FIG. 5, when connecting a liquid container to the water server, the liquid container with the integrated bottle cap 1 already attached to the open end (projection 12) of the cylindrical mouth 10 is lowered from above the water server, and the water supply shaft 11 is inserted into the bearing part 3 through the shaft hole 30 exposed on the top surface of the main body 2. The water supply shaft 11 inserted into the bearing part 3 is inserted with the outer circumferential surface crimped in a watertight manner while the engaging projection 31 is elastically deformed in the radially expanding direction within the shaft hole 30.

As the liquid container moves downward, the tip of the water supply shaft 11 comes into contact with the water stop portion 4 held at the open end of the bearing portion 3, and the tip of the water supply shaft 11 is inserted into the cylindrical open end of the water stop portion 4, with the holding protrusion 42 engaging with the recessed portion 11a. The water stop portion 4 is then pressed by the water supply shaft 11 inserted into the cylindrical open end, causing the thin portion 33 to break and the water stop portion 4 to be peeled off from the bearing portion 3. The water stop portion 4 that has been peeled off from the bearing portion 3 is moved together with the water supply shaft 11, and eventually the tip of the water supply shaft 11 protrudes from the open end of the bearing portion 3 on the liquid container side.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when the liquid container is removed from the water server, the liquid container is moved upward, so that the water supply shaft 11 and the water stopper 4 are moved together and inserted into the axial hole 30 of the bearing part 3, and the outer peripheral wall 41 of the water stopper 4 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the water supply shaft 11 is engaged with the engaging protrusion 31 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the bearing part 3, so that the water stopper 4 is detached from the tip of the water supply shaft 11, and only the water supply shaft 11 is pulled out of the bearing part 3, leaving the water stopper 4. The water stopper 4 left in the axial hole 30 of the bearing part 3 is fitted in such a way that the outer peripheral wall 41 is watertightly engaged with the engaging protrusion 31, and the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 41 is abutted against the inner peripheral surface of the bearing part 3.

As described above, the integrated bottle cap 1 of this embodiment is an integrated bottle cap 1 that is attached to the cylindrical mouth 10 of a liquid container for a water server, and includes a main body 2 that is elastically deformed to fit the shape of the cylindrical mouth 10 and inserted, a cylindrical bearing 3 that is disposed at the center of the main body 2, and a water stop portion 4 that is held at the open end of the bearing 3 on the liquid container side and is integrally formed with the bearing 3 via a thin portion 33. When the water stop portion 4 is pressed by the water supply shaft 11 of the water server inserted into the bearing 3, the thin portion 33 breaks and the water stop portion 4 is peeled off from the bearing 3, so that leakage of drinking water in the liquid container can be prevented at low cost.

In other words, in the integrated bottle cap 1 of this embodiment, the water stop portion 4 is held at the open end of the bearing portion 3 on the liquid container side, and is formed integrally with the bearing portion 3 via the thin-walled portion 33, so that the open end of the bearing portion 3 on the liquid container side is closed by the thin-walled portion 33 and the water stop portion 4, reliably preventing the water stop portion 4 from falling into the liquid container under its own weight and the drinking water in the liquid container from leaking out through gaps. In addition, a work process is required to fit a separate water stop member to the bearing portion as in the conventional method, and the cost of manufacturing the integrated bottle cap 1 can be reduced.

In particular, the thin-walled portion 33 in this embodiment is formed between the starting point of the chamfered portion 32 formed on the inner peripheral edge of the opening end of the bearing portion 3 on the liquid container side and the cylindrical opening end of the water stop portion 4, so that the thin-walled portion 33 can be provided as an extremely thin weak point, and can be formed so that when the water stop portion 4 is pressed by the water supply shaft 11, the thin-walled portion 33 reliably breaks, and the water stop portion 4 can be easily peeled off the bearing portion 3.

In addition, the bearing part 3 in this embodiment is provided with an engagement protrusion 31 on its inner circumferential surface that protrudes so as to be able to engage with the water stop part 4. Therefore, when the liquid container is removed from the water server, the outer circumferential wall 41 of the water stop part 4 engages with the engagement protrusion 31, so that the water stop part 4 can be detached from the tip of the water supply shaft 11 and housed within the axial hole 30 of the bearing part 3. By holding the water stop part 4 in the bearing part 3, it is possible to prevent the water stop part 4 from falling into the liquid container under its own weight or for drinking water in the liquid container to leak outside the machine.

In addition, the water stop part 4 in this embodiment is provided with a retaining protrusion 42 that protrudes from the cylindrical opening end and can engage with the tip of the water supply shaft 11. When a liquid container is connected to the water server, the water stop part 4 engages with the tip of the water supply shaft 11 and is retained by the water supply shaft 11, preventing the water stop part 4 from falling into the liquid container. Also, when the liquid container is removed from the water server, it can be accommodated and retained in the bearing part 3 again.

The integrated bottle cap 1 of this embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the purpose of the present invention.

In other words, in the embodiment of the one-piece bottle cap 1 described above, the main body 2, the bearing 3, and the water stop portion 4 are integrally formed, but the arrangement of the main body 2 and the bearing 3 is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that the bearing 3 and the water stop portion 4 are integrally formed via the thin-walled portion 5, and for example, the bearing 3 may be provided as a separate member from the main body 2.

In addition, in the embodiment of the integrated bottle cap 1 described above, the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 41 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the bearing portion 3 when the water stop portion 4 is housed in the axial hole 30 of the bearing portion 3. However, the configuration of the bearing portion 3 and the water stop portion 4 is not limited to this. For example, a separate protruding rib may be provided on the outer peripheral wall 41, and the rib may be formed so as to abut against the inner peripheral surface of the bearing portion 3 when housed in the axial hole 30 of the bearing portion 3, so that the water stop portion 4 is securely held by the bearing portion 3.

In addition, in the embodiment of the integrated bottle cap 1 described above, the retaining protrusion 42 is provided at the cylindrical opening end of the water stopper 4, but the arrangement of the retaining protrusion 42 is not limited to this, and it may be provided anywhere on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical main body 40.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Integrated bottle cap 2 Main body 3 Bearing 4 Water stop portion 10 Cylindrical opening 11 Water supply shaft 11a Concave portion 20 Top surface 21 Outer edge 21a Mounting recess 22 Inner edge 22a Water stop rib 30 Shaft hole 31 Engagement protrusion 32 Chamfered portion 33 Thin portion 40 Cylindrical main body 41 Outer peripheral wall 42 Holding protrusion

Claims (3)

An integrated bottle cap to be attached to a cylindrical opening of a liquid container for a water server,
A main body portion that is elastically deformed to fit the shape of the cylindrical opening portion and is inserted and attached thereto;
A cylindrical bearing portion disposed at a center position of the main body portion;
a water stopper portion that is held at an open end of the bearing portion on the liquid container side and is integrally formed with the bearing portion via a thin-walled portion at an open end of an outer peripheral wall of the cylindrical body ,
The water stopping portion is
The inner peripheral edge of the opening end of the bearing portion is continuous with the opening end surface of the outer peripheral wall via the thin-walled portion, which is a weak portion that is much thinner than the thickness of the bearing portion and the water stopper portion,
The thin-walled portion is broken by being pressed by a water supply shaft of a water server inserted into the bearing portion, and is peeled off from the bearing portion,
When the liquid container is removed from the water server, the opening end surface of the outer peripheral wall is watertightly engaged with the engaging protrusion provided on the inner peripheral surface of the bearing portion, thereby holding the liquid container in the axial hole.
An integrated bottle cap. The integrated bottle cap according to claim 1, wherein the thin-walled portion is formed between the starting point of a chamfer formed on the inner peripheral edge of the opening end of the bearing portion on the liquid container side and the cylindrical opening end of the water stop portion. The integrated bottle cap according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water stopper is provided with a retaining protrusion that protrudes from the cylindrical opening end and is capable of engaging with the tip of the water supply shaft.

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