JP7574076B2 - Swing cap - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a shake-out cap that is attached to the mouth and neck of a container body filled with powdered or granular food, cosmetics, medicines, etc., and that can shake out the contents by tilting or inverting the container body and shaking it.

As containers capable of dispensing various powdery or granular contents by a shaking action, those that are widely used include those that are fitted to the mouth of the container body, have a cap body with a dispensing opening formed in the top wall, and an opening/closing lid that opens and closes the dispensing opening, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example.

The conventional shaking cap has a shaking opening made up of multiple small holes in the top wall, and the amount of contents that are shaken out with one shaking action can be adjusted by adjusting the number and diameter of the small holes. When the shaking opening is made up of small holes like this, the contents can get stuck in the shaking opening, or, especially if the contents are highly hygroscopic, they can form lumps, making it impossible to shake out the contents from the shaking opening.

For this reason, many shake-out caps have been developed that can adjust the amount of contents shaken out without having a shake-out opening made of a small hole. For example, the cap disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 is known.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-103447 JP 2009-269627 A

Design Registration No. 1589269

The shaking cap disclosed in the above-mentioned non-patent document 1 has a cap body with a shaking opening formed in the top wall, and an opening/closing lid for opening and closing the shaking opening, and the upper end of the cap body is shaped to slope upward toward the shaking opening. Therefore, when shaking the contents, if the container body is tilted and shaken so that the shaking opening faces downward, the contents will temporarily remain in the protruding portion (recessed portion) formed by the slope of the upper end, and the amount of contents that is shaken out can be adjusted.

However, the flip-top cap in Non-Patent Document 1 has a protruding portion (recessed portion) that is simply an extension of the outer wall of the cap body, so it is less effective at retaining the contents and there is a risk that the contents may fly out with force. In addition, because the upper end of the cap body protrudes toward the flip-top opening, the cap is tall and the top surface is slanted, which makes it difficult to store during transportation or display and makes it difficult to handle.

The present invention aims to provide a shake-out cap that is used to shake out contents such as seasonings or toppings by a shaking operation, prevents the contents from flying out excessively when the contents are shaken out, can adjust the amount of contents shaken out, and has excellent storage properties.

The shake-out cap of the present invention, which has been developed to achieve the above-mentioned object, is attached to the mouth and neck of a container body, and shakes out the contents of the container body through a shake-out opening provided in the top wall of the cap body by shaking the container body up and down in a tilted or inverted position ,
the cap body includes a lid body that is rotatably supported on the top wall via a hinge and that opens and closes the aperture,
The lid has a storage portion on its back surface,
The storage section is characterized in that it is basket-shaped and has an outer wall section that is slidably positioned relative to the outlet edge of the shake-out opening as the lid body rotates when the shake-out opening is in an open state, and a concave inner wall section that allows for temporary storage of the contents shaken out of the container body by the shake -out operation when at least the front edge of the outer wall section protrudes from the outlet edge of the shake-out opening when the shake- out opening is open .

In addition, in the tilt-type cap of the present invention, it is preferable that the storage surface of the inner wall portion for storing the contents to be tilted comprises a curved surface that is concavely curved from the tip to the rear end of the storage portion, and that the outer wall portion comprises an arcuate surface having a radius centered on the hinge and that can slide along the edge of the tilt-type opening when the lid body is opened and closed.

In addition, in the swing-out cap of the present invention, it is preferable that the outer wall portion has an engagement portion that can releasably engage with at least a portion of the edge of the swing-out opening to adjust the opening angle of the lid body.

Furthermore, in the telescopic cap of the present invention, it is preferable that the storage portion has a stopper at the rear end edge of the outer wall portion that abuts against the edge of the telescopic opening to prevent the storage portion from falling off the telescopic opening.

According to the shaking cap of the present invention, a cage-shaped storage section is provided on the back surface of a lid body that is rotatably mounted via a hinge on the top wall of the cap body, and when the lid body is rotated to the open state during use, the storage section is positioned at the outlet edge of the shaking outlet. When the container body is tilted so that the shaking outlet faces downward to perform a shaking operation, the contents can be temporarily blocked and retained in the storage section. This makes it possible to prevent a large amount of contents from unintentionally flying out of the shaking outlet during the shaking operation, and also makes it possible to remove the contents retained in the storage section while adjusting the amount by gradually tilting the container body or shaking it lightly.

In addition, with the swing-out cap of the present invention, the storage section can protrude from the outlet edge of the swing-out opening (the top wall of the cap body) when in use, but can be stored within the cap body (located below the top wall) after use (when the lid is closed). This allows the height of the cap to be low, and since the top wall surface is flat after use, the caps can be stacked for display or storage, for example, which saves space during transportation and display.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the entire swing-out cap can be constructed from a single member.

1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing an embodiment of a shake-off cap of the present invention attached to the mouth and neck portion of a container body, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the swing-out cap of FIG. 1 with the lid body open. 2A is a plan view of the swing-out cap shown in FIG. 1 with the lid opened by 90 degrees, FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B, FIG. 2C is a bottom view, FIG. 2D is a left side view, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the swing-out cap of FIG. 1 in a state where the lid body is open and tilted so that the swing-out opening faces downward. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the lid of the swing-out cap of FIG. 1 is opened and tilted so that the swing-out opening faces downward to remove the contents. FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method for adjusting the amount of the contents that is shaken out by adjusting the amount of protrusion of the storage section from the edge of the shake-out opening in the shake-out cap of FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the lid of a swing-out cap C according to an embodiment of the present invention is closed and attached to the mouth and neck of a container body, Fig. 1(a) is a plan view, and Fig. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the swing-out cap C of Fig. 1 with the lid fully opened. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the swing-out cap C of Fig. 1 with the lid opened by 90°, and Fig. 3(a) is a plan view, Fig. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B, Fig. 3(c) is a bottom view, Fig. 3(d) is a left side view, and Fig. 3(e) is a right side view. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the swing-out cap C of Fig. 1 with the lid open and tilted so that the swing-out opening faces downward. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the swing-out cap C is used by being removably attached to the mouth and neck part 1a of the container body 1 by screwing, and is composed of a cap body 2 attached to the mouth and neck part 1a, and a lid body 3 provided on the top wall 2a of the cap body 2 so as to be openable and closable via a hinge 4. Each component part will be described in detail below. The swing-out cap C may be attached to the mouth and neck part 1a of the container body 1 by using an undercut fitting.

The reference numeral 1 in the figure denotes a container body into which the contents are filled. The container body 1 has a neck portion 1a protruding from the upper end, and can store powdery or granular contents. As described below, any type of container body can be used as long as the body of the container body 1 can be grasped and tilted or inverted to perform the shaking operation. In addition to container bodies made of rigid synthetic resin, container bodies made of glass or metal can also be used, and therefore the container body 1 is not limited in the present invention. In addition, the shape of the container body 1 in FIG. 1 is configured as a circular cylindrical body having the same shape as the planar outline shape of the shaking cap C attached to the neck portion 1a of the container body 1, but is not limited to this, and various shapes and sizes can be used as appropriate depending on the type of contents to be filled and the purpose.

Reference numeral 2 denotes the cap body, which is the main component of the swing-out cap C. This cap body 2 is made of synthetic resin and has a peripheral wall 2a and a top wall 2b that is integrally connected to the upper end of the peripheral wall 2a. The cap body 2 is configured to be fixed and held to the neck portion 1a of the container body 1 by fitting the neck portion 1a of the container body 1 inside the peripheral wall 2a and screwing it in (in the figure, the helical protrusion 2a1 on the inner wall of the peripheral wall 2a is screwed into the helical groove 1a1 on the neck portion 1a of the container body 1).

Furthermore, the container body 1 has a ring portion 1b at the bottom of the mouth and neck portion 1a, and by fitting the ring portion 1b tightly against the peripheral wall 2a of the cap body 2, the inner wall of the cap body 2 and the mouth and neck portion 1a can be airtightly engaged, effectively preventing the intrusion of dust, dirt, etc. into the container body 1.

As shown in Figure 3, the top wall 2b is divided into two semicircular parts at the center, and the semicircular part on the left side of the figure (hereinafter, the left semicircular part will be referred to as the "left top panel 2b1" and the right semicircular part will be referred to as the "right top panel 2b2") has a semicircular shaking opening 2c in the center of the semicircle. The shaking opening 2c can be used to shake out the contents by performing a shaking operation, such as shaking the container body 1 up and down, while tilting or inverting the container body 1 as described below.

The left top panel 2b1 also has a recess 2d on its periphery, which serves as a handle for using a finger or nail to flip up the lid 3, which is rotatably held on the top wall 2b, as described below. Note that instead of this recess 2d, a tab protruding outward may be provided on the periphery of the lid 3, and the tab may be used as a handle for opening the lid 3.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a lid, which has a semicircular top panel 3a of the same shape as the left top panel 2b1 of the cap body 2, and the top panel 3a is connected to the right top panel 2b2 of the cap body 2 via a hinge 4, which holds it openable and closable. Therefore, in the closed state, the bottom surface of the top panel 3a of the lid 3 matches the top surface of the left top panel 2b1 of the cap body 2, and by providing a means such as an undercut on the periphery of the left top panel 2b1 and the top panel 3a, the lid 3 can be detachably fitted to the top wall 2b.

In this way, the top plate 3a of the lid body 3 is placed on the left top plate 2b1 of the cap body 2, so that the left top plate 2b1 is formed at a position lower than the right top plate 2b2 by the thickness of the top plate 3a, as shown in Figures 1(b) and 3(b). On the other hand, on the underside of the right top plate 2b2, a recess 2e is formed to match the peripheral shape of the edge of the storage section 3c of the lid body 3 so that the edge fits into it when the lid body 3 is closed, as described below.

In this embodiment, the top panel 3a is formed in the same shape as the left top panel 2b1 of the cap body 2, but this is not limited to this. As long as it can cover and seal the opening 2c, it can have any shape and can be selected appropriately according to the contents, purpose, etc.

The lid 3 has a storage section 3c on the back side of the top panel 3a, which is integrated with the top panel 3a. The storage section 3 is a concavely curved, cage-like plate, which is integrated with the top panel 3a via two connecting pieces 3b at a position adjacent to the hinge 4. When the lid 3 is in the closed state of FIG. 1, this storage section 3c is located below the right top panel 2b2 of the cap body 2, while when the lid 3 is in the open state of FIG. 2, it slides on the content outlet edge 2c1 of the swing-out opening 2c as the top panel 3a rotates via the hinge, and a part of it protrudes from the left top panel 2b.

The storage section 3c has an inner wall 3c1 that is curved in a concave shape, and the outer wall 3c2 is formed in an arc shape with a radius centered on the hinge 4 so that the outer wall 3c1 can slide along the outlet edge 2c1 of the opening 2c as the top panel 3a rotates. Note that in this embodiment, both the inner and outer walls of the storage section 3c are curved, but this is not limited to this. As long as it is a cage-like structure that can block the contents that are spun out from the opening 2c and temporarily store them as described below, it can be any type of cage. Various types can be used, such as those with a concave rectangular inner wall or those with different shapes for the inner and outer walls.

When the top panel 3a of the lid 3 in FIG. 1 is closed, the edge of the storage section 3c fits into the recess 2e provided on the underside of the right top panel 2b2 of the cap body 2, and the storage section 3c is held within the cap body 2. The recess 2e is formed to match the shape of the edge of the storage section 3c, and in this embodiment, it is an arc shape with a radius centered on the hinge 4. Therefore, with this swing-out cap C, after use (when the top panel 3a is closed), the storage section 3c can be stored within the cap body 2, thereby saving space.

On the other hand, when the top panel 3a of the lid 3 is opened, the storage section 3c is positioned at the outlet edge 2c1 of the shaking outlet 2c as the top panel 3a rotates, and in the figure, a part of it protrudes outward from the outlet edge 2c1. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, when the container body 1 is tilted so that the neck 1a faces downward to perform the shaking operation, the contents are temporarily blocked and stored on the concavely curved inner wall 3c1 of the storage section 3c, which prevents the contents from being shaken out excessively.

The contents retained in the storage section 3 can be adjusted by gradually tilting the container body 1 or shaking it gently to remove the required amount.

In addition, as shown in Fig. 6, the outer wall 3c2 of the storage section 3 is provided with one or more (three in the figure) engaging portions 3d, which can be releasably engaged with the edge 2c1 of the opening 2c to prevent the lid 3 from wobbling during the swing-out operation and to hold the lid 3 at any open angle. The engaging portions 3d can be of any structure as long as they have an engaging shape, such as a recess or a protrusion. In Fig. 6(a), the lid 3 is fixed at a position where half of the storage section 3 protrudes from the opening 2c, and in Fig. 6(b), the lid 3 is fixed at a position where the storage section 3 protrudes slightly from the opening 2c. The more the storage section 3c protrudes from the edge 2c1 of the dispensing opening 2c, the greater the effect of the storage section 3c in blocking the contents. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the opening angle of the lid 3 and adjust the amount of contents dispensed (the amount of contents stored in the storage section 3) according to the amount of contents remaining in the container body 1, the purpose, preferences, etc.

The storage section 3 also has a flange 3e at the rear edge of the outer wall 3c2, which abuts against the edge 2c1 of the opening 2c and functions as a stopper, preventing the storage section 3 from falling off (removal prevention) from the opening 2c.

The swing-out cap of the present invention can be molded in one piece by molding (by injection molding, etc.) in the state shown in Figure 3 above, which has the advantage of reducing the number of parts.

The shake-off cap of the present invention can be widely used as a cap for containers filled with food, cosmetics, medicines, detergents, etc., and as a cap that can prevent the contents from shaking out excessively, it is expected to be used as a cap for containers filled with not only powdered and granular contents but also liquid contents.

C Shake-out cap 1 Container body 1a Mouth and neck part 1a1 Groove part 2 Cap body 2a Peripheral wall 2a1 Projection part 2b Top wall 2b1 Left top plate 2b2 Right top plate 2c Shake-out opening 2d Recessed part 2e Recessed part 3 Lid body 3a Top plate 3b Connection piece 3c Storage part 3c1 Inner wall portion 3c2 Outer wall portion 3d Engagement portion 3e Flange portion

Claims (4)

A shake-out cap is attached to the mouth and neck of a container body, and shakes out the contents of the container body through a shake-out opening provided in a top wall of the cap body by shaking the container body up and down in a tilted or inverted position,
the cap body includes a lid body that is rotatably supported on the top wall via a hinge and that opens and closes the aperture,
The lid has a storage portion on its back surface,
The storage portion is basket-shaped and has an outer wall portion that is slidably positioned relative to the outlet edge of the shake-out opening as the lid body rotates when the shake-out opening is in an open state, and a concave inner wall portion that allows for temporary storage of the contents shaken out of the container body by the shake-out operation when at least the front edge of the outer wall portion protrudes from the outlet edge of the shake-out opening when the shake-out opening is open . A tilt-type cap as described in claim 1 , characterized in that the storage surface of the inner wall portion for storing the contents to be tilted is a curved surface that is concavely curved from the front end to the rear end of the storage portion, and the outer wall portion is an arcuate surface having a radius centered on the hinge and that can slide along the edge of the tilt-type opening when the lid body is opened and closed. 3. A telescopic cap as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outer wall portion has an engaging portion which can releasably engage with at least a portion of the edge of the telescopic opening to adjust the opening angle of the lid body. The telescopic cap described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the storage section has a stopper at the rear end edge of the outer wall section that abuts against the edge of the telescopic opening to prevent the storage section from falling off the telescopic opening.

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