JP7612305B2 - Beverage containers - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a beverage container that stores a beverage inside.

Conventionally, beverage containers with lids that store beverages inside are known. The beverage container has a cylindrical container body with a bottom and a lid that covers an opening at the top of the container body. The lid has a drinking spout that is a through hole and an opening/closing member that covers the drinking spout. A user of the beverage container opens the opening/closing member and drinks the beverage in the beverage container through the drinking spout.

Conventional beverage containers are described, for example, in Patent Document 1.

JP 2016-047741 A

This type of beverage container has a structure in which a spring is attached to a hinge for rotating the opening/closing member, and the elastic force of the spring biases the opening/closing member toward the open state. However, when the opening/closing member is rotated by the elastic force of the spring, the momentum of the rotation can cause beverage adhering to the packing of the opening/closing member to splash. Therefore, it is considered to not attach a spring to the hinge, and have the user rotate the opening/closing member manually.

However, when the opening and closing member is completely closed, the user cannot place their hand on the bottom end of the opening and closing member, making it difficult to grasp the opening and closing member.

The present invention was developed in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a beverage container that allows the user to easily grasp and rotate the opening and closing member that covers the drinking spout.

The beverage container of the present invention is a beverage container that stores a beverage inside, and comprises a bottomed, cylindrical container body and a lid that covers the top of the container body, the lid having a lid member with a drinking spout located forward of the center, an opening/closing member that rotates between a closed state that covers the drinking spout and an open state that opens the drinking spout, an operation button that can move in the front-rear direction, and an elastic member that biases the operation button forward, the opening/closing member having an opening through which the operation button is inserted when in the closed state, and the front surface of the operation button is an inclined surface that slopes upward so that it approaches the rear.

According to the present invention, when the user presses the operation button backward, the operation button disengages from the opening/closing member. Thereafter, as the operation button moves forward due to the repulsive force of the elastic member, it is pushed by the inclined surface of the operation button and lifted upward along the trajectory along which the opening/closing member rotates. Therefore, the user can easily grasp and rotate the lifted opening/closing member.

The lid preferably further includes a plug gasket that seals the drinking spout while elastically deforming when the opening/closing member is in the closed state. In this case, when a user presses the operation button and the operation button and the opening/closing member are disengaged, the opening/closing member is lifted by the elastic force of the plug gasket. This allows the inclined surface of the operation button to more reliably come into contact with the lower edge of the opening/closing member.

The opening/closing member preferably has a rear surface that contacts the front surface of the operation button, and the rear surface is an inclined surface that inclines toward the rear as it goes upward. In this way, by bringing the inclined surfaces into contact with each other, the opening/closing member can be lifted more smoothly while the operation button and the opening/closing member slide against each other.

It is also preferable that the cover further has a shutter that can move between a first position that closes the opening and a second position that opens the opening. This can prevent erroneous operation of the operation button.

It is also preferable that the shutter has a convex portion or a concave portion, and the opening/closing member further has a first concave portion that engages with the convex portion or a first convex portion that engages with the concave portion when the shutter is placed at the first position, and a second concave portion that engages with the convex portion or a second convex portion that engages with the concave portion when the shutter is placed at the second position. This makes it possible to maintain the position of the shutter at the first position or the second position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the shutter from moving unintentionally.

According to the present invention, when the user presses the operation button backward, the operation button disengages from the opening/closing member. Thereafter, as the operation button moves forward due to the repulsive force of the elastic member, it is pushed by the inclined surface of the operation button and lifted upward along the trajectory along which the opening/closing member rotates. Therefore, the user can easily grasp and rotate the lifted opening/closing member.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the beverage container. 11 is a front view of the cover when the opening/closing member is in a closed state. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cover when the opening/closing member is in a closed state. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cover when the operation button is pressed. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cover when a finger is released from the operation button. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the lid when the opening/closing member is in an open state. FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

1. Beverage container configuration
Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a beverage container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The beverage container 1 is a tumbler with a lid that can store a beverage (liquid) such as tea or mineral water inside. A user of the beverage container 1 can carry the beverage container 1 with the beverage stored therein in a bag or the like, and can open an opening/closing member 23 (described later) of the beverage container 1 to drink the beverage inside as needed. As shown in Fig. 1, the beverage container 1 includes a container body 10 and a lid 20.

The container body 10 is a main body part that stores a beverage inside. The container body 10 is made of, for example, stainless steel. The container body 10 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom. That is, the container body 10 has a disk-shaped bottom 11 and a substantially cylindrical side wall 12 that extends upward from the edge of the bottom 11. The bottom 11 and the side wall 12 each have a double structure, with a vacuum layer between the inner surface and the outer surface. This allows the beverage stored inside the container body 10 to be kept warm or cold.

The outer peripheral surface of the side wall portion 12 has the shape of an inverted truncated cone. That is, the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the side wall portion 12 gradually increases as it extends upward. The outer diameter of the upper end of the container body 10 is larger than the outer diameter of the lower end of the container body 10. In this way, by making the outer peripheral surface of the side wall portion 12 into a tapered shape that gradually increases in diameter as it extends upward, it is possible to prevent the container body 10 from slipping out of the user's hand when the user grasps the outer peripheral surface of the side wall portion 12.

The inner surface of the side wall portion 12 has a first inner surface 121, an inclined surface 122, and a second inner surface 123. The first inner surface 121 is a cylindrical surface centered on the central axis A of the container body 10. A full water line 124 indicating the upper limit of the beverage that can be stored is formed near the upper end of the first inner surface 121. The inclined surface 122 is a surface that expands radially outward as it extends upward from the upper end of the first inner surface 121. The inner diameter of the inclined surface 122 gradually expands as it extends upward.

The second inner circumferential surface 123 is a cylindrical surface centered on the central axis A. The second inner circumferential surface 123 extends upward from the upper end of the inclined surface 122. The inner diameter of the second inner circumferential surface 123 is larger than the inner diameter of the first inner circumferential surface 121. The second inner circumferential surface 123 is formed with a female thread 13. The female thread 13 is a helical groove.

The lid body 20 is a part that covers the opening at the top of the container body 10. The lid body 20 is detachable from the top of the container body 10. A user carries the beverage container 1 with the lid body 20 attached to the container body 10. The user also removes the lid body 20 from the container body 10 when refilling the beverage or cleaning the beverage container 1. With the lid body 20 attached to the container body 10, a portion of the lid body 20 is inserted into the opening at the top of the container body 10.

Figure 2 is a front view of the lid body 20. Figures 3 to 6 are vertical cross-sectional views of the lid body 20. As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the lid body 20 of this embodiment has a lower member 21, an upper member 22, an opening/closing member 23, a ring packing 24, a plug packing 26, an operation button 27, an elastic member 28, and a shutter 29. The lower member 21, the upper member 22, the opening/closing member 23, the operation button 27, and the shutter 29 are each made of a synthetic resin that is not easily elastically deformed.

The lower member 21 is a substantially cylindrical member that constitutes the lower part of the lid body 20. With the lid body 20 attached to the container body 10, the lower member 21 is inserted into the opening at the top of the container body 10. A male thread 210 that can be screwed into the female thread 13 of the container body 10 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the lower member 21. The male thread 210 is a helical protrusion. The lid body 20 is attached to the container body 10 by screwing the male thread 210 into the female thread 13 of the container body 10.

The upper member 22 is a generally disk-shaped member located above the lower member 21. The lower member 21 described above has a number of claw portions 211. The claw portions 211 extend upward from the outer periphery of the lower member 21, with their tips protruding radially outward. The upper member 22 has step portions 221 with which the claw portions 211 can engage. The multiple claw portions 211 engage with the step portions 221. This fixes the upper member 22 and the lower member 21 together, making them one piece.

The lower member 21 and the upper member 22 are an example of a "lid member" in the present invention. That is, in this embodiment, the "lid member" is composed of two members, the lower member 21 and the upper member 22. However, the "lid member" may be composed of a single member, or may be composed of three or more members. The lower member 21 and the upper member 22 have a drinking spout 30. The drinking spout 30 is a through hole that passes through the lower member 21 and the upper member 22 in the vertical direction. In addition, the drinking spout 30 is located forward (on the pouring side) of the center of the lower member 21 and the upper member 22.

The opening/closing member 23 is a member for opening and closing the drinking spout 30 of the upper member 22. The opening/closing member 23 rotates about a hinge 222 provided on the upper member 22 between a closed state in which the drinking spout 30 is covered and an open state in which the drinking spout 30 is open. Note that no spring is provided on the hinge 222. Therefore, the opening/closing member 23 does not open automatically by the elastic force of the spring, but is moved manually between the closed state and the open state by the user.

The opening/closing member 23 has a top plate portion 231 and a front wall portion 232 that extends downward from the front end of the top plate portion 231 (the front end in the closed state). The front wall portion 232 has an opening 233. The opening 233 is a rectangular through-hole that penetrates the front wall portion 232 in the front-rear direction (the front-rear direction in the closed state).

The ring packing 24 is a sealing member for preventing the beverage from leaking out from between the container body 10 and the lid body 20. The ring packing 24 is annular about the central axis A. The ring packing 24 is made of an elastically stretchable elastomer.

The ring packing 24 is fixed to a position below the male thread 210 of the lower member 21. When the male thread 210 of the lid body 20 is screwed into the female thread 13 of the container body 10, the ring packing 24 comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the container body 10. More specifically, the ring packing 24 elastically deforms and adheres closely to the boundary between the first inner peripheral surface 121 and the inclined surface 122. This seals the gap between the upper end of the first inner peripheral surface 121 and the ring packing 24.

The plug gasket 26 is a sealing member for sealing the drinking spout 30 when the opening/closing member 23 is in the closed state. The plug gasket 26 is made of an elastically expandable and contractible elastomer. As shown in FIG. 3, the plug gasket 26 has a fixing portion 31 and a lip portion 32.

The fixing part 31 is fixed to the underside of the opening/closing member 23 (the underside in the closed state). More specifically, the fixing part 31 is fixed to the underside of the opening/closing member 23 with an adhesive. This integrates the opening/closing member 23 and the plug gasket 26. The adhesive surface between the opening/closing member 23 and the fixing part 31 has an uneven shape. This increases the area of the adhesive surface, allowing the fixing part 31 to be firmly fixed to the opening/closing member 23.

The lip portion 32 is a thin-walled portion that can be elastically deformed. The lip portion 32 protrudes outward and downward from the peripheral edge of the lower end of the fixed portion 31. When the opening/closing member 23 is in the closed state, the lip portion 32 of the plug gasket 26 comes into contact with the edge of the drinking spout 30. More specifically, the upper surface of the edge of the drinking spout 30 is an inclined surface that gradually reduces in diameter as it approaches the drinking spout 30. The lip portion 32 fits closely to this inclined surface while elastically deforming. This seals the drinking spout 30.

The operation button 27 is a member that the user presses when opening the opening/closing member 23. The operation button 27 is movable in the front-rear direction relative to the lower member 21 and the upper member 22. The operation button 27 moves in the front-rear direction between a protruding position shown in Figs. 3 and 6 and a retracted position shown in Fig. 4. The protruding position is located forward (on the pouring side) of the retracted position. In addition, the front surface 271 of the operation button 27 is a surface that is inclined in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the front surface 271 of the operation button 27 is an inclined surface that is inclined so as to approach the rear as it moves upward.

The elastic member 28 is a member for biasing the operation button 27 forward. For example, a coil spring that can expand and contract in the front-rear direction is used for the elastic member 28. However, instead of a coil spring, a leaf spring or rubber may be used as the elastic member 28. The elastic member 28 is inserted between the operation button 27 and the upper member 22 in a state where it is compressed in the front-rear direction beyond its natural length. Therefore, due to the elastic repulsive force of the elastic member 28, the operation button 27 is always pressured forward (towards the protruding position).

When the user rotates the opening/closing member 23 from the open state shown in FIG. 6 to the closed state, the lower edge of the front wall portion 232 of the opening/closing member 23 comes into contact with the front surface 271 of the operation button 27, as shown in FIG. 5. The operation button 27 is then pushed by the front wall portion 232 and moves rearward once. After that, when the opening/closing member 23 reaches the closed state and the opening 233 of the front wall portion 232 and the operation button 27 overlap, the operation button 27 protrudes forward again due to the repulsive force of the elastic member 28 and is inserted into the opening 233 of the front wall portion 232. As a result, the opening/closing member 23 and the operation button 27 engage with each other, as shown in FIG. 3, and the opening/closing member 23 is maintained in the closed state.

On the other hand, when opening the opening/closing member 23 from the closed state shown in FIG. 3, the user presses the front surface 271 of the operation button 27 exposed in the opening 233 backward as shown in FIG. 4. This moves the operation button 27 from the protruding position to the retracted position, and disengages the opening/closing member 23 from the operation button 27. At this time, the plug packing 26, which is an elastic body, returns to its natural state from the compressed state. The elastic force of the plug packing 26 causes the opening/closing member 23 to lift slightly from the closed state. As a result, the lower edge of the front wall portion 232 of the opening/closing member 23 is positioned in front of the front surface 271 of the operation button 27.

When the user then releases his/her finger from the operation button 27, the repulsive force of the elastic member 28 causes the operation button 27 to protrude forward again from the retracted position. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the front surface 271 of the operation button 27 comes into contact with the lower edge of the front wall portion 232 of the opening/closing member 23. Then, as the operation button 27 moves forward, the front wall portion 232 of the opening/closing member 23 moves upward along the inclined front surface 271 of the operation button 27. As a result, the opening/closing member 23 is lifted further. Therefore, the user can easily grasp the lifted opening/closing member 23, and can easily rotate the grasped opening/closing member 23 to the open state shown in FIG. 6.

In particular, in the opening/closing member 23 of this embodiment, the rear surface 234 of the lower edge is a surface that is inclined in the front-to-rear direction. More specifically, in the closed state, the rear surface 234 of the lower edge of the opening/closing member 23 is an inclined surface that inclines toward the rear as it goes upward. The front surface 271 of the operation button 27 contacts the rear surface 234 of the opening/closing member 23. In this way, by bringing the inclined surfaces into contact with each other, the front wall portion 232 of the opening/closing member 23 can be smoothly slid relative to the operation button 27. Therefore, the opening/closing member 23 can be lifted more smoothly while sliding the front wall portion 232 relative to the operation button 27.

The shutter 29 is a member for closing the opening 233 of the opening/closing member 23. The shutter 29 is a plate-like member having a substantially rectangular shape. The shutter 29 is held in a state in which it can slide up and down on the front wall portion 232 of the opening/closing member 23. The shutter 29 is movable between a first position in which the opening 233 is closed and a second position in which the opening 233 is opened. When the shutter 29 is placed in the first position, the front surface 271 of the operation button 27 is covered by the shutter 29. In this state, the user cannot touch the operation button 27. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operation button 27 from being operated erroneously. On the other hand, when the shutter 29 is placed in the second position, the opening 233 is opened and the front surface 271 of the operation button 27 is exposed. In this state, the user can press the operation button 27 to open the opening/closing member 23.

As shown in FIG. 2, the shutter 29 has a pair of minute protrusions 291 on the left and right edges. On the other hand, the opening/closing member 23 has a pair of minute first recesses 235 and a pair of minute second recesses 236 provided above the first recesses 235. When the shutter 29 is placed in the first position described above, the protrusions 291 engage with the first recesses 235. This maintains the opening/closing member 23 in the first position. When the shutter 29 is placed in the second position described above, the protrusions 291 engage with the second recesses 236. This maintains the opening/closing member 23 in the second position.

The shutter 29 may have a small recess instead of the protrusion 291. In that case, the opening/closing member 23 may have a first protrusion that engages with the recess of the shutter 29 when the shutter 29 is placed in the first position, and a second protrusion that engages with the recess of the shutter 29 when the shutter 29 is placed in the second position.

2. Modifications
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the plug gasket 26 seals the drinking spout 30 by contacting the annular lip portion 32 with the periphery of the drinking spout 30. However, the plug gasket 26 may also seal the drinking spout 30 by contacting a hemispherical protrusion with the drinking spout 30.

In the above embodiment, the rear surface 234 of the lower edge of the opening/closing member 23 is an inclined surface. However, this portion of the opening/closing member 23 does not have to be an inclined surface. In other words, the front surface 271 of the operation button 27 may be in contact with the rear corner of the lower edge of the opening/closing member 23.

The cover body 20 in the above embodiment has a shutter 29 to prevent erroneous operation of the operation button 27. However, erroneous operation of the operation button 27 may be prevented by a method other than the shutter 29. For example, the cover body 20 may be provided with a locking mechanism that stops the movement of the operation button 27 in the forward and backward directions.

In the above embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the container body 10 has a tapered shape that gradually expands in diameter as it approaches the top. However, the outer peripheral surface of the container body may also be a straight cylindrical surface.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the container body 10 has a first inner circumferential surface 121, an inclined surface 122, and a second inner circumferential surface 123. However, the inner circumferential surface of the container body may be a straight cylindrical surface that does not have an inclined surface.

The beverage container 1 in the above embodiment has a female thread 13 on the inner peripheral surface of the upper part of the container body 10, and a male thread 210 on the lid 20 is screwed into the female thread 13 (internal thread type). However, the beverage container may have a male thread on the outer peripheral surface of the upper part of the container body, and a female thread on the lid may be screwed into the male thread (external thread type).

In addition, the beverage container 1 in the above embodiment was a tumbler with a lid 20. However, the beverage container may also be a stainless steel mug.

The detailed shape of the beverage container may differ from that shown in the drawings of this application. The elements appearing in the above embodiments and variations may be combined as appropriate to the extent that no contradictions arise.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 beverage container 10 container body 11 bottom 12 side wall 20 lid 21 lower member 22 upper member 23 opening/closing member 24 ring packing 26 stopper packing 27 operation button 28 elastic member 29 shutter 30 drinking spout 222 hinge 231 top plate 232 front wall 233 opening 234 rear surface 235 first recess 236 second recess 271 front surface 291 protrusion A central axis

Claims (5)

A beverage container for storing a beverage therein,
A cylindrical container body with a bottom;
A lid for covering an upper portion of the container body;
Equipped with
The lid body is
A lid member attached to the container body and having a drinking spout forward of the center;
an operation button movable in a front-rear direction relative to the cover member ;
an opening/closing member that rotates relative to the lid member and the operation button between a closed state that covers the drinking spout and an open state that opens the drinking spout;
an elastic member that biases the operation button forward;
having
The opening and closing member is
an opening into which the operation button is inserted when the device is in the closed state;
The opening/closing member is not biased toward an open state,
A beverage container, wherein the front surface of the operation button is an inclined surface that inclines so as to approach the rear as it extends upward. 2. The beverage container of claim 1,
The lid body is
The beverage container further comprises a plug gasket that seals the drinking spout while elastically deforming when the opening/closing member is in the closed state. A beverage container according to claim 1 or 2,
the opening/closing member has a rear surface that comes into contact with the front surface of the operation button,
The rear surface of the beverage container is an inclined surface that slopes upward and toward the rear. A beverage container for storing a beverage therein,
A cylindrical container body with a bottom;
A lid for covering an upper portion of the container body;
Equipped with
The lid body is
A lid member having a drinking spout located forward of the center;
An opening/closing member that rotates between a closed state that covers the drinking spout and an open state that opens the drinking spout;
An operation button that can be moved forward and backward;
an elastic member that biases the operation button forward;
having
The opening and closing member is
an opening into which the operation button is inserted when the operation button is in the closed state;
having
The front surface of the operation button is an inclined surface that is inclined so as to approach the rear as it goes upward,
The lid body is
The beverage container further comprises a shutter movable between a first position closing the opening and a second position opening the opening. 5. The beverage container of claim 4,
The shutter has a convex portion or a concave portion,
The opening and closing member is
a first recess that engages with the protrusion when the shutter is disposed at the first position, or a first protrusion that engages with the recess;
a second recess that engages with the protrusion when the shutter is disposed at the second position, or a second protrusion that engages with the recess;
The beverage container further comprises:

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