JP7602898B2 - Container lid device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lid device such as a cock or cap that opens and closes the mouth of a bag-in-box, blow bottle, or other container, and in particular to a lid device having an inner ring that is fitted into the mouth of the container.

Caps (lid devices) with inner rings for various containers are well known.
Also, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cock (lid device) for a bag-in-box. The cock includes a nozzle with a handle and a lid attached to the mouth of a container. The lid includes a lid top plate that covers the mouth and an inner ring that protrudes from the inner surface of the lid top plate. The inner ring is formed in a cylindrical shape with a constant thickness in the circumferential direction. The inner ring is fitted into the inner circumference of the mouth, thereby preventing the lid from coming off the mouth and providing a liquid-tight seal between the lid and the mouth.

JP 2015-155322 A

In containers having this type of lid device with an inner ring, the fit between the inner ring and the mouth may be too loose or too tight due to tolerances, manufacturing errors, or slight differences in specifications. If it is too loose, the lid device may not be able to be firmly attached to the mouth, and liquid may leak. If it is too tight, it is difficult to attach and detach the lid device, and therefore difficult to open and close the container. The degree of shrinkage of the inner ring due to press-fitting may also vary in the circumferential direction.
In consideration of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a lid device that can be securely fitted into the mouth of a container body with an appropriate fitting force even if there are tolerances or manufacturing errors in the lid device or mouth, or slight differences in specifications, and that has a wider tolerance range for the inner diameter of the mouth and can be used universally.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides
A lid device provided at the mouth of a container,
A lid top plate that covers the opening of the mouth portion;
An inner ring protruding from the inner surface of the lid top plate and fitted into the inner periphery of the mouth portion,
The inner ring is characterized in that thin-walled portions and thick-walled portions are formed alternately over the entire circumferential direction of the inner ring.
Preferably, the outer diameter of the inner ring is set to a size that allows the inner ring to be press-fitted into the mouth portion. As a result, when the lid device is attached to the mouth portion, the inner ring shrinks and deforms in the radial direction following the inner diameter or shape of the mouth portion. Preferably, the inner ring shrinks and deforms uniformly in the circumferential direction. As a result, the inner ring can be reliably fitted into the mouth portion with an appropriate fitting force. Also, the allowable range of the inner diameter of the mouth portion can be expanded.

The outer circumferential surface of the inner ring is a cylindrical surface,
It is preferable that ridges and valleys are alternately formed in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the inner ring.
This allows the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring to be pressed against and in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mouth over the entire circumference, ensuring a seal between the lid and the mouth.

The lid device may be a cap or a cock.
The lid device consisting of a cock may have a lid opening formed in the lid top plate, and a nozzle with a handle for opening and closing the lid opening may be provided on the outer surface of the lid top plate.
The faucet includes a cover plate member having the cover top plate and the inner ring, the cover top plate having a cover opening formed therein;
A nozzle with a handle provided on an outer surface of the lid top plate for opening and closing the lid opening;
a cylindrical outer lid member that is separate from the cover plate member and surrounds the cover plate member;
The inner peripheral surface of the outer casing of the lid is formed with a female thread that is screwed into the male thread on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion,
An inner flange portion that protrudes radially inward is formed on an edge of the outer casing member on the handle-equipped nozzle side,
It is preferable that the inner flange portion is sandwiched between the nozzle with handle and the lid top plate.

According to the present invention, even if there are tolerances or manufacturing errors in the lid device or the mouth portion, or slight differences in specifications, the inner ring of the lid device can be securely fitted into the mouth portion with an appropriate fitting force, and the allowable range of the inner diameter of the mouth portion is expanded, allowing the lid device to be used for general purposes.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a bag-in-box container according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cock which is a lid device for the container. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the faucet. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the faucet. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of a cap which is a lid device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cap.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 4)
As shown in Fig. 1, a container 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is configured as a bag-in-box. The container 1 includes a container body 1a in which a liquid content is accommodated, and a cock 3 (lid device) for opening and closing the container body 1a. A roughly cylindrical mouth portion 2 is provided on the upper surface or side surface of the container body 1a. A male thread 2b is formed on the outer periphery of the mouth portion 2. Preferably, the inner periphery of the mouth portion 2 is a tapered surface that gradually expands in diameter toward the tip (the upper end in Fig. 1). The cock 3 is detachably provided on the mouth portion 2.

1 to 3, the cock 3 includes a lid portion 4 and a nozzle with a handle 30. The lid portion 4 includes a lid outer cylinder member 10 and a lid plate member 20. The lid outer cylinder member 10 and the lid plate member 20 are separate members.
The material of the lid outer cylinder member 10 and the lid plate member 20 is, for example, a resin such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), or an elastomer.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the lid outer cylinder member 10 is formed in a cylindrical or annular shape and surrounds the lid plate member 20. A female thread 13 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lid outer cylinder member 10. The faucet 3 is attached to the mouth portion 2 by screwing the female thread 13 into the male thread 2b. An annular inner flange portion 12 that protrudes radially inward is formed on the upper end edge of the lid outer cylinder member 10 (the edge on the nozzle 30 side described below).

As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the lid plate member 20 has a lid top plate 21, a nozzle holder 22, and an inner ring 23. The lid top plate 21 is formed in a disk shape. When the faucet 3 is attached to the mouth portion 2, the lid top plate 21 covers the opening 2a of the mouth portion 2 to close the mouth portion 2. A lid opening 26 is formed in the lid top plate 21.

1 and 2, a cylindrical nozzle holder 22 is integrally formed on the upper surface (outer surface) of the lid top plate 21. The cylinder axis of the nozzle holder 22 is aligned with the upper surface of the lid top plate 21. A lid opening 26 is opened on the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle holder 22. A nozzle 30 with a handle is rotatably held by the nozzle holder 22. The nozzle 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape that is longer than the nozzle holder 22 and has a smaller diameter than the nozzle holder 22. The nozzle 30 is inserted into the nozzle holder 22 in a press-fit state. A communication hole 36 is formed in the peripheral wall of the nozzle 30. The tip of the nozzle 30 forms the discharge port 31. A lever-shaped handle 32 is provided at the base end of the nozzle 30. By operating the handle 32 to adjust the angle of the nozzle 30, the communication hole 36 can be connected to or blocked from the lid opening 26, thereby opening and closing the lid opening 26. This allows the liquid content of the container 1 to be discharged or stopped from flowing out of the discharge port 31.

As shown in FIG. 1, the inner flange 12 is sandwiched between the nozzle holder 22, the nozzle 30, and the lid top plate 21. This allows the lid outer cylinder member 10 and the lid plate member 20 to be engaged with each other so as to be rotatable and inseparable in the axial direction (up and down).

As shown in FIG. 3, the inner ring 23 is integrally provided on the lid top plate 21. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the inner ring 23 is formed in a ring shape that is concentric with the lid top plate 21 and has a smaller diameter than the lid top plate 21, protrudes from the bottom surface (inner surface) of the lid top plate 21, and is fitted into the inner circumference of the mouth portion 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 23 is formed in a smooth circular cross section without unevenness in the circumferential direction, and is preferably formed in a tapered shape (conical surface shape) that reduces in diameter toward the tip (lower end in FIG. 1). More preferably, the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 23 has a gentle taper portion 23a that is gently inclined from the lid top plate 21 to the middle portion, and a steep taper portion 23b that is steeply inclined from the middle portion to the tip. The outer diameter of the gentle taper portion 23a at each height position is formed to be larger than the inner diameter at the corresponding position of the mouth portion 2 so that the inner ring 23 is pressed into the mouth portion 2. Preferably, the outer diameter of the gently tapered portion 23a is set larger than the inner diameter of the mouth portion 2 so that the press-fit state is maintained even if there are tolerances or manufacturing errors in the mouth portion 2 and the cock 3, or even if there are slight differences in specifications.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner ring 23 has thin-walled portions 24 and thick-walled portions 25 formed alternately at a constant pitch around the entire circumference of the inner ring 23. More specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the inner ring 23 has concave valley portions 24a and convex peak portions 25a formed alternately at a constant pitch around the circumference. The valley portions 24a form the thin-walled portions 24, and the peak portions 25a form the thick-walled portions 25. The thin-walled portions 24 and thick-walled portions 25 preferably extend over the entire height of the inner ring 23. That is, the upper ends of the thin-walled portions 24 and thick-walled portions 25 reach the lid top plate 21. The lower ends of the thin-walled portions 24 and thick-walled portions 25 reach the lower edge of the inner ring 23.

Specifically, the inner peripheral surface of the inner ring 23 is formed in a sine wave shape with alternating peaks and valleys in the circumferential direction. The wave shape of the inner peripheral surface of the inner ring 23 is not limited to a sine wave shape, and may be a triangular wave shape or a rectangular wave shape. The height difference H between the peaks 25a and the valleys 24a on the inner peripheral surface of the inner ring 23 is preferably about 0.01 to 0.3 times the inner diameter φ, and more preferably about 0.05 times. The inner diameter φ corresponds to the diameter of the inscribed circle inscribed with the tops of the peaks 25a on the inner ring 23. The number of peaks 25a on the inner ring 23 is preferably about 5 to 50, and more preferably about 16.

When attaching the faucet 3 (lid device) to the mouth 2, the lid outer cylinder member 10 is rotated to screw the female thread 13 into the male thread 2b. At this time, the lid top plate 21 and the nozzle 30 can be held in a fixed orientation so as not to rotate. The tip (lower end) of the inner ring 23 is a sharply tapered portion 23b, which makes it easy to insert the inner ring 23 into the mouth 2.
Since the outer diameter at each height position of the gently tapered portion 23a of the inner ring 23 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter at the corresponding position of the mouth portion 2, the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 23 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the mouth portion 2, and the inner ring 23 is press-fitted into the mouth portion 2. By setting the outer diameter of the inner ring 23 to be larger in consideration of tolerances, manufacturing errors, or slight differences in specifications, it is possible to prevent the fit between the inner ring 23 and the mouth portion 2 from becoming too loose.

The pressed-in inner ring 23 is contracted and deformed to follow the inner diameter or shape of the mouth 2. At this time, the inner ring 23 is uniformly contracted in the circumferential direction and reduced in diameter by the action of the thin-walled portions 24 and the thick-walled portions 25. In detail, each thin-walled portion 24 is bent so as to contract in the circumferential direction, and adjacent thick-walled portions 25 sandwiching each thin-walled portion 24 are brought closer to each other. In other words, the width of each valley portion 24a is narrowed, and the distance between adjacent peak portions 25a is reduced.
Therefore, even if the outer diameter of the inner ring 23 is large, it is not too tightly fitted into the mouth portion 2, and the installation operation of the faucet 3 can be easily performed. In addition, the degree of contraction of the inner ring 23 due to press-fitting can be prevented from varying in the circumferential direction.

The inner ring 23 can be compressed to a greater extent than a typical inner ring with a constant thickness in the circumferential direction. Therefore, even if there are some tolerances or manufacturing errors, slight differences in specifications, etc., as long as the outer diameter at each height position of the gently tapered portion 23a is larger than the inner diameter at the corresponding position of the mouth portion 2, the inner ring 23 can be pressed in while being reliably compressed and deformed. In other words, the allowable range of the inner diameter of the mouth portion 2 can be expanded. Moreover, because the parts that are easily contracted, i.e., the thin-walled portions 24, are evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the inner ring 23, it is easy to uniformly contract the inner ring 23.

In this way, even if there are tolerances or manufacturing errors in the lid or mouth, or slight differences in specifications, the inner ring 23 can be reliably fitted into the mouth 2 with an appropriate fitting force. The outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 23 is then tightly fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the mouth 2 over the entire circumference. This creates a liquid-tight seal between the mouth 2 and the faucet 3. By expanding the tolerance range of the inner diameter of the mouth, the lid device can be used for general purposes.

When the faucet 3 is removed from the mouth 2, the compressive deformation force on the thin-walled portion 24 of the inner ring 23 is released, and the inner ring 23 elastically returns to its original size and shape.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following embodiments, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.
Second embodiment (FIGS. 5 to 7)
As shown in Fig. 5, the cap 40 (lid device) of the container 1B of the second embodiment integrally has a lid outer peripheral portion 41 and a lid top plate 42. As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, an inner ring 43 is integrally provided on the inner surface (bottom surface) of the lid top plate 42, and the inner ring 43 has thin portions 44 (valley portions 44a) and thick portions 45 (ridge portions 45a) alternately provided in the circumferential direction, and further the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 43 has a gently tapered portion 43a and a steeply tapered portion 43b, similar to the first embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, peaks and valleys may be formed alternately in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of the inner rings 23, 43 as well.
In the first embodiment, the lid outer peripheral portion 10 and the lid top plate 21 may be integral with each other.
The lid device according to the present invention is not limited to bag-in-boxes, but can be applied to blown bottles and various other containers.

The present invention can be applied to lids for containers such as bag-in-boxes and blown bottles.

1 Container 1a Container body 2 Mouth 2a Opening 2b Male screw 3 Cock (lid device)
4 Lid portion 10 Lid outer cylinder member 12 Inner flange portion 13 Female screw 20 Lid plate member 21 Lid top plate 22 Nozzle holder 23 Inner ring 23a Gently tapered portion 23b Steeply tapered portion 24 Thin portion 24a Root portion 25 Thick portion 25a Mountain portion 26 Lid opening 30 Nozzle 31 Discharge port 32 Handle 36 Communication hole 40 Cap (lid device)
41 Lid outer periphery 42 Lid top plate 43 Inner ring 43a Gently tapered portion 43b Steeply tapered portion 44 Thin portion 44a Root portion 45 Thick portion 45a Peak portion

Claims (3)

A lid device provided at the mouth of a container,
A lid top plate that covers the opening of the mouth portion;
An inner ring protruding from the inner surface of the lid top plate and fitted into the inner periphery of the mouth portion,
The inner ring has five or more thin-walled portions and five or more thick-walled portions alternately formed at a constant pitch around the entire circumferential direction of the inner ring, and the inner surface of the inner ring has five or more radially protruding peaks and five or more radially recessed valleys alternately formed at a constant pitch around the entire circumferential direction . A lid device provided at the mouth of a container,
A lid top plate that covers the opening of the mouth portion;
An inner ring protruding from the inner surface of the lid top plate and fitted into the inner periphery of the mouth portion,
The inner ring has five or more thin-walled portions and five or more thick-walled portions alternately formed at a constant pitch around the entire circumference of the inner ring;
The outer circumferential surface of the inner ring is a cylindrical surface,
A lid device characterized in that five or more peaks and valleys are alternately formed on the inner peripheral surface of the inner ring at a constant pitch over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. The lid device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a lid opening is formed in the lid top plate, and a nozzle with a handle for opening and closing the lid opening is provided on the outer surface of the lid top plate.

Images