JP7541441B2 - Cap unit and container with cap - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cap unit and a container with a cap.

Conventionally, there have been capped containers equipped with a cap unit (stopper) that can be attached and detached to a container body that is open at the top (see, for example, Reference 1 below).

For example, the following cited document 1 discloses a structure in which an operating lever is provided on a cover that closes the upper opening of the plug body, and by pushing down this operating lever, a valve body that closes the flow path is pushed down in the opening direction against the bias of a coil spring.

Patent No. 5451813

However, in the capped container described in Patent Document 1, the spout through which the liquid in the container body is poured out is exposed to the outside. This means that there is a possibility that dust, debris, etc. may adhere to the spout during use.

For example, if the container is used as a milk pitcher to pour milk or cream, the liquid will not flow smoothly from the spout. In this case, the spout may become dirty due to dripping or liquid pooling at the spout.

Therefore, in such conventional capped containers, the spout is easily unsanitary, and in order to keep the spout sanitary, frequent cleaning of the cap unit is required, which is time-consuming. Furthermore, if the cap unit has a complex structure, careful cleaning of the cap unit is required.

On the other hand, if a lid is provided to open and close the spout, if liquid that flows out from the spout adheres to the inside surface of the lid, there is a possibility that the liquid adhering to the lid will splash around or soil the area around the spout when the lid is opened.

The present invention was proposed in light of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and aims to provide a cap unit that can return liquid adhering to the lid to the spout side and that has a simple structure that makes it easier to clean, as well as a capped container that is equipped with such a cap unit, thereby enabling further improvements in usability.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
[1] A cap unit that can be detachably attached to a container body having an open top,
A cap body that closes an upper opening of the container body and has a spout on the front upper part;
a lid body that is rotatably attached to the rear side of the cap body via a hinge portion and that opens and closes the spout;
The lid body has a top wall portion that covers at least an upper portion of the spout and a protrusion portion that protrudes from a lower surface of the top wall portion,
The spout has a protruding portion that protrudes above the upper surface of the cap body and forward beyond the side surface of the cap body, and a groove portion that cuts out an upper portion of the protruding portion in the front-rear direction toward the front end of the protruding portion,
The groove has a shape in which the width and depth are gradually reduced from the rear end side to the front end side,
The protrusion has a shape that extends in the front-rear direction and gradually decreases in height from its rear end side to its front end side,
A cap unit characterized in that, when the lid body closes the spout, the protrusion is inserted into the inside of the spout .
[ 2 ] The cap unit according to [1] , wherein the groove portion is inclined upward from its rear end side to its front end side.
[ 3 ] The spout has an opening that opens rearward from the rear end of the groove,
The cap unit according to [1] or [2] , wherein the opening is open in a plane perpendicular to the extension direction of the groove.
[ 4 ] The cap unit according to any one of [1] to [ 3 ] above;
A capped container comprising: a container body to which the cap unit is attached.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cap unit that can return liquid adhering to the lid to the spout side and that also allows for improved cleanability through a simple structure, as well as a capped container that is equipped with such a cap unit, thereby enabling further improvements in usability.

1 is an oblique view showing a state in which a lid body is in a closed position in a capped container equipped with a cap unit of one embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a perspective view of the capped container shown in FIG. 1 with a lid body in an open position, as viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the capped container shown in FIG. 1 with the lid in an open position, as viewed from below. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the capped container shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the capped container shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a perspective view of a cap body included in the cap unit shown in FIG. 1, as viewed from above. 2 is a perspective view of a cap body included in the cap unit shown in FIG. 1, as viewed from below.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
For example, a capped container 100 having a cap unit 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a capped container 100 equipped with a cap unit 1 with the lid body 9 in a closed position. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the capped container 100 with the lid body 9 in an open position, as viewed from above. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the capped container 100 with the lid body 9 in an open position, as viewed from below. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the capped container 100. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the capped container 100.

As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the capped container 100 of this embodiment includes a cap unit 1 of this embodiment and a container body 2 to which the cap unit 1 is detachably attached.

The capped container 100 of this embodiment is an application of the present invention to a milk pitcher that can keep liquids, such as milk or cream, contained in the container body 2, cold by using the container body 2 that has a vacuum insulation structure.

Specifically, in this capped container 100, the container body 2 has a bottomed cylindrical outer container 3 and inner container 4 made of, for example, stainless steel, and is configured as a double-structure container in which the mouths of the two containers are joined together while the inner container 4 is housed inside the outer container 3. In addition, a vacuum insulation layer 5 is provided between the outer container 3 and the inner container 4. The vacuum insulation layer 5 can be formed, for example, by blocking a degassing hole provided in the center of the bottom surface of the outer container 3 in a chamber that has been depressurized (evacuated) to a high vacuum.

The container body 2 has a substantially circular bottom 2a, a body 2b that stands in a substantially cylindrical shape from the outer periphery of the bottom 2a, and a substantially cylindrical mouth/neck 2c that is tapered at the upper side of the body 2b. The upper end of the mouth/neck 2c opens in a circular shape in a plan view as the upper opening 2d of the container body 2. A ring-shaped protrusion 2e is provided on the inside of the mouth/neck 2c, protruding around the entire circumference.

The capped container 100 of this embodiment has an overall generally cylindrical external shape, but the external shape of the capped container 100 is not particularly limited and can be modified as appropriate to suit the size, design, etc. In addition, the outer circumferential surface of the container body 2 may be painted, printed, etc.

The configuration of the cap unit 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
6 is a perspective view of the cap body 7 included in the cap unit 1 as viewed from above. FIG 7 is a perspective view of the cap body 7 included in the cap unit 1 as viewed from below.

In the following description, the side of the cap unit 1 on which the spout 6 (described below) is provided will be referred to as the "front side" of the cap unit 1, and the side opposite the side on which the spout 6 is provided will be referred to as the "rear side" of the cap unit 1.

As shown in Figures 1 to 7, the cap unit 1 of this embodiment constitutes a plug that closes the upper opening 2d of the container body 2. Specifically, this cap unit 1 includes a cap body 7 that closes the upper opening 2d of the container body 2 and has a spout 6 at the front upper part, and a lid body 9 that is rotatably attached to the rear side of the cap body 7 via a hinge part 8 and opens and closes the spout 6.

The cap body 7 is made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), or polyacetal (POM). The cap body 7 has a peripheral wall portion 7a formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and an upper wall portion 7b that covers the upper surface of the peripheral wall portion 7a.

The cap body 7 is attached to the mouth and neck portion 2c of the container body 2 by screwing it in a removable manner. For this purpose, a female thread portion 10 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 7a. Meanwhile, a male thread portion 11 that screws into this female thread portion 10 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth and neck portion 2c of the container body 2.

The cap body 7 is also provided with a handle 12 that is gripped by the user. The handle 12 protrudes from the rear side of the cap body 7 and extends downward.

The spout 6 forms a liquid passage for pouring the liquid in the container body 2 to the outside. Specifically, the spout 6 has a protrusion 6a that protrudes above the top surface of the upper wall portion 7b (cap body 7) and forward from the side surface of the peripheral wall portion 7a (cap body 7), a groove portion 6b that cuts the upper portion of the protrusion 6a in the front-to-rear direction toward the front end of the protrusion 6a, an opening portion 6c that opens rearward from the rear end of the groove portion 6b, and a recessed portion 6d that recesses the inner surface of the cap body 7 from the opening portion 6c toward the rear of the protrusion 6.

In the spout 6 of this embodiment, at least the upper surface of the protruding portion 6a where the groove portion 6b is formed is flat. The groove portion 6b has a generally arc shape in cross section, and is formed by cutting out the center of the upper surface of the protruding portion 6a in the front-to-rear direction. The groove portion 6b has a shape in which the width and depth gradually decrease from its rear end side toward its front end side. Furthermore, the groove portion 6b is inclined upward from its rear end side toward its front end side (and downward from its front end side toward its rear end side).

The opening 6c is formed to be continuous with the rear end of the groove 6b and has a generally arcuate shape in cross section, and the upper part of the groove 6b is formed to be generally linear in cross section so as to close the upper part. The opening 6c opens toward the inside of the cap body 7 in a plane perpendicular to the extension direction (front-rear direction) of the groove 6b.

The recess 6d is formed on the lower surface of the upper wall portion 7b (the inner surface of the cap body 7) so that its depth gradually increases from the rear end toward the opening 6c located on the front end side of the rear end. As shown in FIG. 7, the recess 6d is formed so as to expand in a generally arc shape in a plan view from the flat lower surface of the protrusion 6a that is continuous with the opening 6c (the bottom surface of the recess 6d) toward the rear side.

The upper part of the cap body 7 is provided with an air vent 13 that introduces outside air into the inside of the container body 2. The air vent 13 is located behind the spout 6 of the upper wall part 7b (cap body 7) and is formed by a circular hole that penetrates the upper wall part 7b in the thickness direction.

A circular ring-shaped ring wall 7c is provided inside the cap body 7, protruding from the underside of the upper wall portion 7b. As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the ring wall 7c is provided at a position continuous with the opening 6c, protruding concentrically with the peripheral wall portion 7a. In other words, the opening 6c is provided in a state in which it penetrates the ring wall 7c in the front-rear direction. The ventilation hole 13 is provided at a position overlapping with the rear end side of the ring wall 7c.

A waterproof gasket 14 is detachably attached to the inside of the cap body 7. The waterproof gasket 14 is a sealing member for sealing the gap between the cap body 7 and the container body 2, and is made of an elastic material such as heat-resistant rubber, elastomer, etc., such as silicone rubber.

The watertight gasket 14 has a stepped shape along the lower surface of the upper wall portion 7b and the outer peripheral surface and lower end surface of the ring wall 7c, and is formed into a circular ring shape overall. The watertight gasket 14 is fitted between the peripheral wall portion 7a and the ring wall 7c in a state of contact with the lower surface of the upper wall portion 7b and the outer peripheral surface and lower end surface of the ring wall 7c.

On the other hand, the watertight gasket 14 can be removed from the inside of the cap body 7 by elastically deforming (pulling and stretching) itself. This allows the watertight gasket 14 and the cap body 7 to be washed separately, making it possible to keep the space between the watertight gasket 14 and the cap body 7 hygienic.

The outer peripheral surface of the watertight gasket 14 is provided with an elastic flange portion 14a that protrudes all around in the radial expansion direction. When the cap body 7 is attached to the container body 2, the watertight gasket 14 is in close contact with the upper end of the neck portion 2c all around while elastically deforming. This makes it possible to liquid-tightly seal (watertightly seal) the gap between the cap body 7 and the container body 2.

The lid 9 is made of synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyacetal (POM), etc. The lid 9 has a top wall 9a that covers the spout 6 and the upper part of the cap body 7, and a peripheral wall 9b that protrudes downward from the periphery of the top wall 9a. The peripheral wall 9b is formed so that when the lid 9 closes the spout 6, it covers the front end side of the spout 6 and is flush with the peripheral wall 7a while abutting against the upper wall 7b of the cap body 7.

The lid 9 is attached so as to be freely rotatable in the vertical direction via a hinge 8 provided at the top of the handle 12 (cap body 7). The lid 9 is also biased by its own weight in the direction of closing the spout 6.

The lid 9 has a lever 15 that protrudes along the top of the handle 12, rearward of the hinge 8. The lid 9 can be rotated in the direction that opens the spout 6 by pressing the lever 15 downward while holding the handle 12.

The lid 9 has a protrusion 16 that protrudes from the underside of the top wall 9a at a position opposite the groove 6b of the spout 6. The protrusion 16 extends in the front-to-rear direction to match the shape of the groove 6b, and has a shape that gradually decreases in height from its rear end to its front end. The front end of the protrusion 16 is connected to the peripheral wall 9b.

In the cap unit 1 of this embodiment having the above-described configuration, when the lid body 9 closes the spout 6, the tip of the protrusion 16 abuts against the bottom surface of the groove 6b, and the lower surface of the top wall 9a abuts against the flat upper surface of the protrusion 6a.

As a result, even if, for example, the container body 2 is tilted forward in an attempt to pour liquid without accidentally pressing the lever portion 15, and the liquid that flows out from the spout 6 adheres to the inner surface of the lid body 9 that corresponds to the flat surface of the protruding portion 6a, the liquid that has adhered to the lid body 9 can be returned to the spout 6 side via the protruding portion 16. In addition, by abutting the lower surface of the top wall portion 9a against the flat upper surface of the protruding portion 6a, it is possible to prevent the liquid that has adhered to the inner surface of the lid body 9 from leaking from the spout 6. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid that has adhered to the lid body 9 from splashing around or soiling the area around the spout 6 when the lid body 9 is opened.

In addition, with the cap unit 1 of this embodiment, when the lid body 9 opens the spout 6, the container body 2 can be tilted forward to make it easier to pour the liquid in the container body 2 through the spout 6, and it is also possible to improve the drainage of the liquid from the spout 6 after pouring.

Specifically, in this spout 6, when liquid in the container body 2 is poured out from the opening 6c through the groove 6b, the recess 6d functions as a liquid pool, and external air is introduced into the inside of the container body 2 through the air vent 13. This makes it possible to smoothly pour out the liquid that has temporarily accumulated in the recess 6d from the opening 6c into the groove 6b while preventing air from flowing in from the opening 6c. In other words, while liquid is flowing out from the opening 6c, the opening 6c is in a state where it is blocked by the liquid, making it possible to prevent air from flowing in from this opening 6c.

On the other hand, in the spout 6, the width and depth of the groove 6b gradually decrease from the rear end to the front end, which allows liquid to drain smoothly from the front end of the groove 6b after pouring. In addition, since the groove 6b is inclined downward from the front end to the rear end, liquid flowing along the groove 6b can be quickly returned to the container body 2 through the opening 6c.

Therefore, the cap unit 1 of this embodiment can prevent the spout 6 and other parts from becoming dirty due to dripping from the spout 6 or liquid pooling in the spout 6, and can keep the spout 6 hygienic. It can also eliminate the need to frequently clean the cap unit 1.

Furthermore, in the cap unit 1 of this embodiment, the simple structure of the cap body 7 and the lid body 9 described above makes it possible to improve its cleanability. Therefore, in the capped container 100 of this embodiment, by being provided with such a cap unit 1, it is possible to further improve usability.

The present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, the above embodiment illustrates a capped container 100 applied to the milk pitcher described above, but the present invention can be widely applied to capped containers equipped with a cap unit that can be freely attached and detached to the mouth and neck portion of the container body.

In addition, the above embodiment illustrates a capped container 100 that has a cold storage function due to the container body 2 having the above-mentioned vacuum insulation structure, but the present invention can also be applied to a capped container that has a container body that does not have a vacuum insulation structure.

1...Cap unit 2...Container body 3...Outer container 4...Inner container 5...Vacuum insulation layer 6...Spout 6a...Protrusion 6b...Groove 6c...Opening 6d...Recess 7...Cap body 8...Hinge 9...Lid 10...Female thread 11...Male thread 12...Handle 13...Ventilation hole 14...Water stop gasket 15...Lever 16...Protrusion

Claims (4)

A cap unit that can be detachably attached to a container body having an open top,
A cap body that closes an upper opening of the container body and has a spout on the front upper part;
a lid body that is rotatably attached to the rear side of the cap body via a hinge portion and that opens and closes the spout;
The lid body has a top wall portion that covers at least an upper portion of the spout and a protrusion portion that protrudes from a lower surface of the top wall portion,
The spout has a protruding portion that protrudes above the upper surface of the cap body and forward beyond the side surface of the cap body, and a groove portion that cuts out an upper portion of the protruding portion in the front-rear direction toward the front end of the protruding portion,
The groove has a shape in which the width and depth are gradually reduced from the rear end side to the front end side,
The protrusion has a shape that extends in the front-rear direction and gradually decreases in height from its rear end side to its front end side,
A cap unit characterized in that, when the lid body closes the spout, the protrusion is inserted into the inside of the spout. The cap unit according to claim 1 , wherein the groove is inclined upward from its rear end side to its front end side. The spout has an opening that opens rearward from the rear end of the groove,
3. The cap unit according to claim 1 , wherein the opening is open in a plane perpendicular to an extension direction of the groove. A cap unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ;
A capped container comprising: a container body to which the cap unit is attached.

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