JP7844086B2 - cap - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a cap for attaching to the mouth of a container, and more particularly to a cap that cannot be resealed once opened.

Conventionally, single-serving beverage containers and refillable containers sealed with screw caps have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
This replacement container is designed to be used after the contents of the original container have been used up. After removing the inner stopper and other parts from the original container, the screw cap of the replacement container is opened, and the inner stopper and other parts removed from the original container are attached to the replacement container.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-128108

However, the screw cap of the refillable container described in Patent Document 1 above has the problem that, after opening, the refillable container can be recapped without reattaching the inner stopper of the original container, resulting in the refillable container being used alone.

The present invention aims to solve the above problems by providing a cap that reliably seals the mouth of the container body, can be easily opened by rotating the cap, and, once opened, cannot be re-capped onto the mouth of the container body.

To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cap comprising an outer cap that is attached to the outer circumference of the mouth of the container body, and a stopper that is connected to the upper part of the outer cap via a breakable thin-walled weakened portion and seals the inner circumference of the mouth, wherein the outer cap has a mounting cylinder portion whose inner circumference is attached to the outer circumference of the mouth of the container body, an outer flange portion that extends inward from the upper end of the inner circumference of the mounting cylinder portion and whose lower surface abuts the upper end surface of the mouth, and a portion provided on the inner circumference of the mounting cylinder portion that can be screwed into the mouth The plug has a screw-in portion, and the plug body has a plug cylinder whose outer circumference is press-fitted into the inner circumference of the opening, an inner flange portion extending outward from the upper end of the plug cylinder with its lower surface abutting the upper end surface of the opening, a bottom wall that closes the lower inner end of the plug cylinder, and a knob portion that is bendably erected from the upper surface of the bottom wall . When the cap is opened, the outer cap rises while breaking the thin-walled weakened portion by rotation, and the plug body separated from the outer cap can be pulled up from the opening by the knob portion.

As a specific embodiment of the cap, the mounting cylinder portion is characterized by having multiple vertical ribs on its inner circumference as threaded portions; the outer flange portion has a groove into which the tip of the knob of the stopper is inserted; the inner flange portion is continuous with the groove of the outer flange portion and has a recessed notch into which the bent knob fits; and the thinned and weakened portion is formed intermittently with a gap in between.

The cap of the present invention, having the above configuration, ensures a secure seal over the opening of the container body. Furthermore, it can be easily opened by rotating the cap. Once opened, the cap separates into an outer cap and a stopper, making it impossible to re-cap the opening of the container body.

This figure shows the state of the refillable container of this embodiment after the container body and cap have been assembled, with (a) being a top view and (b) being a side cross-sectional view. This figure shows the cap of the refillable container in this embodiment, with (a) being a top view and (b) being a side cross-sectional view. This is a bottom view of the cap of the refillable container in this embodiment. This figure shows the open state of the cap on the container body of the refillable container in this embodiment, with (a) being a side cross-sectional view when the outer cap is open and (b) being a side cross-sectional view when the stopper is opened.

Next, the cap of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, based on an embodiment of the cap used for a refillable container.

In Figure 1, A is a replaceable container consisting of a container body B that holds the contents and a cap C that is attached to the container body B and seals the inside of the container body B.
The container body B is made of a relatively hard material, while the cap C is made of a softer material than the container body B.

As shown in Figure 1, the container body B is composed of a cylindrical mouth portion 1 that opens at the top and a bottomed cylindrical body portion 2 formed below the mouth portion 1. The mouth portion 1 is provided with a stopper mounting portion 3 at the top for attaching the cap C of the replacement container A or the stopper of the original container (not shown), and an overcap mounting portion 4 below it for attaching the overcap of the original container (not shown).
On the outer circumference of the inner plug mounting portion 3, a male threaded portion 5 is screwed at the top, and an engaging projection 6 is provided around the lower part.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the cap C comprises an outer cap C1 that is attached to the outer circumference of the mouth 1 (internal stopper mounting portion 3) of the container body B, and a stopper body C2 that is connected to the upper inner circumference of the outer cap C1 via a breakable thin-walled weakened portion 10 and seals the inner circumference of the mouth 1. Multiple thin-walled weakened portions 10 are formed intermittently with gaps 11 in between (four in this embodiment).
The gap 11 is formed to facilitate the breaking of the thin-walled weakened portion 10. However, if the thin-walled weakened portion 10 can be easily broken, the gap 11 may be omitted, and the thin-walled weakened portion 10 may be provided around its entire circumference.

The outer cap C1 consists of a mounting cylinder portion 12 whose inner circumference is attached to the outer circumference of the inner stopper mounting portion 3 of the mouth portion 1 of the container body B, and an outer flange portion 13 which extends inward from the upper end of the inner circumference of the mounting cylinder portion 12 and whose lower surface abuts against the outer edge of the upper end surface of the mouth portion 1.
The inner circumference of the mounting cylinder portion 12 is provided with a screw portion 14 at the top that screws into the male screw portion 5 on the outer circumference of the inner plug mounting portion 3, and a locking projection 15 is provided around the lower end that overcomes and engages with the engaging projection 6.

On the inner circumference of the outer flange portion 13, multiple thin-walled weakened portions 10 are arranged in a series at the lower end, which are connected to the inner flange portion 21 described later. A groove 16 is recessed at a predetermined position at the upper end (left side in Figure 2), into which the tip 23a of the knob portion 23 of the plug body C2 described later is inserted.

As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the threaded portion 14 has multiple vertical ribs 14a arranged at equal intervals on the inner circumference of the mounting cylinder portion 12. When the cap C is attached to the container body B by pressing it in, stress relaxation occurs on the inside of each vertical rib 14a due to creep, transferring the shape of the male thread portion 5 of the opening 1 and forming a thread groove.

The plug body C2 consists of a plug cylinder 20 whose outer circumference is press-fitted into the inner circumference of the opening 1, an inner circumferential flange portion 21 that extends outward from the upper end of the plug cylinder 20 and expands in diameter, with its lower surface abutting against the inner edge of the upper end surface of the opening 1, a bottom wall 22 that closes the lower inner end of the plug cylinder 20, and a knob portion 23 that is erected with a predetermined width at an off-center position (to the right in Figure 2) from the center of the bottom wall 22.
Since the knob 23 is positioned eccentrically (to the right) from the center of the stopper C2, when the knob 23 is pulled up, the right side of the stopper C2 lifts up first, making it easier to remove the stopper C2.
Furthermore, the gripping portion 23 is designed to be easy to grip by creating irregularities on the surface of the tip portion 23a and making holes for gripping fingers, and it can be bent using the area near the connection portion 23b with the bottom wall 22 as a pivot point.

The inner circumferential flange portion 21 has multiple thin-walled weakened portions 10 connected to the outer circumferential flange portion 13 at its lower outer end. A notch 24 is recessed at the top, extending from the groove 16 of the outer circumferential flange portion 13 of the outer cap C1, and designed to accommodate the bent gripping portion 23.

Next, the usage and effects of this embodiment will be explained with reference to the drawings.
In this embodiment, the cap C is integrally molded with the outer periphery cap C1 and the plug body C2 connected via a thin-walled weakened portion 10, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

During the molding of the cap C, the knob portion 23 is in an upright position. Therefore, the knob portion 23 is bent to the left using the connecting portion 23b as a pivot point, as shown in Figure 2. The knob portion 23 is then inserted between the notches 24 of the inner flange portion 21 of the plug body C2, and the tip portion 23a of the knob portion 23 is inserted into the groove 16 of the outer flange portion 13 of the outer cap C1 and fixed in place.
The knob 23 of the cap C is fixed in a bent state so as not to protrude from the upper surface of the stopper body C2, so as not to interfere with the distribution of the refill container A.
Furthermore, although not shown in the diagram, after fixing the knob 23, a label or sticker can be attached to cover the top surface of the cap C, thereby concealing the knob 23 and creating a more aesthetically pleasing cap C.

Next, after filling the container body B with the contents, the cap C is attached to the container body B by pressing it into place.
First, the mounting cylinder portion 12 of the outer cap C1 of the cap C is set above the mouth portion 1 of the container body B. When force is applied from above so that the upper surface of the outer flange portion 13 of the outer cap C1 and the upper surface of the inner flange portion 21 of the stopper body C2 come into contact together, the male thread portion 5 of the inner stopper mounting portion 3 of the container body B comes into contact with the threaded portion 14 of the mounting cylinder portion 12, causing the outer cap C1 to descend while biting into the threads, and at the same time, the stopper cylinder 20 of the stopper body C2 is pressed into the inner circumference of the mouth portion 1 and descends.

Finally, as shown in Figure 1, the lower surface of the outer flange portion 13 of the outer cap C1 and the lower surface of the inner flange portion 21 of the stopper body C2 come into contact with the upper surface of the mouth 1, stopping the downward movement of the cap C. At the same time, the locking projection 15 of the mounting cylinder portion 12 overcomes and engages with the engaging projection 6 of the inner stopper mounting portion 3 of the container body B. Simultaneously, the stopper cylinder 20 of the stopper body C2 fits tightly into the inner circumference of the mouth 1, completing the stoppering process. The cap C is then attached to the container body B, and the replacement container A is completed.
After the plugging process is complete, the threads of the male screw portion 5 bite into the inside of the vertical ribs 14a of the screw portion 14, transferring their shape.
In this embodiment, the cap C is fitted onto the container body B, but the cap C may also be screwed onto the container body B. In this case, the screw portion 14 of the mounting cylinder portion 12 should have a female screw portion that can be screwed into the male screw portion 5 of the inner stopper mounting portion 3.

During the plugging process, force is applied from above so that the outer cap C1 and the upper surface of the plug body C2 come into contact together. As a result, the outer cap C1 and the plug body C2 come into contact with the upper surface of the opening 1 simultaneously, completing the plugging process. Therefore, the outer cap C1 and the plug body C2 do not shift during the plugging process, preventing the thin, weakened section 10 connecting them from breaking.
Furthermore, although not shown in the diagram, by applying a shrink label that wraps from the top of the cap C down to the container body B, the product can be made into a refillable container A.

To replace the original container A with the original container body when the contents of the original product are depleted, first, the tip 23a of the knob 23, which is fixed to the groove 16 of the outer flange portion 13 of the outer cap C1, is rotated around the connecting portion 23b as a pivot point to lift it up. Then, the outer circumference of the outer cap C1 of the cap C of the replacement container A is grasped and rotated in the unscrew direction relative to the container body B.
When the outer cap C1 is rotated, the outer cap C1 begins to rise due to the unscrew of the male threaded portion 5 of the inner stopper mounting portion 3 of the container body B and the threaded portion 14 of the mounting cylinder portion 12.

As the outer cap C1 begins to rise, the locking projection 15 of the mounting cylinder portion 12 overcomes the engaging projection 6 of the container body B. However, the stopper body C2, which is tightly fitted to the inner circumference of the mouth portion 1, does not move. As a result, the positions of the outer cap C1 and the stopper body C2 shift, causing the thin-walled weakened portion 10 connecting them to break, and the outer cap C1 rises while the stopper body C2 remains attached to the mouth portion 1 of the container body B.
Finally, as shown in Figure 4(a), the outer cap C1 is removed while the stopper C2 remains attached to the container body B.

Once the outer cap C1 is removed, the tip 23a of the knob 23 of the stopper body C2 is grasped and pulled, which pulls the bottom wall 22 upward from the center, and then deforms it by pulling inward from the lower end of the stopper cylinder 20, which disengages it from the mouth 1 of the container body B, and as shown in Figure 4(b), the stopper body C2 is removed from the container body B and the cap C is opened from the mouth 1 of the container body B.
In this embodiment, the knob 23 is located slightly to the right of the center of the stopper C2, making it easier to lift the stopper C2 from the right side where the knob 23 is located.

In this embodiment, after the cap C is set into the mouth 1 of the container body B by pressing it into place, the outer cap C1 and the stopper body C2 separate into separate parts during the first opening. Even if only the outer cap C1 is screwed back into the mouth 1 of the container body B, the inside of the outer cap C1 remains open.
Furthermore, even if one attempts to re-seal the stopper C2 onto the inner circumference of the opening 1, the bottom wall 22 and stopper cylinder 20 of the stopper C2 are pulled and deformed during opening, preventing it from fitting snugly onto the inner circumference of the opening 1.
As a result, even if one attempts to recap the cap C after the initial opening, it cannot be recapped onto the opening 1 of the container body B and used.

By attaching the original inner stopper and overcap to the opening 1 of the opened container body B, the product can be reused as a replacement container body B.

The cap of the present invention ensures a secure seal over the mouth of the container body, can be easily opened by rotating the cap, and once opened, the cap cannot be re-capped onto the mouth of the container body. Therefore, it is suitable for use as a cap for single-serving beverage containers and refillable containers for cosmetics, etc.

A Replacement container B Container body C Cap C1 Outer cap C2 Stopper body 1 Mouth 2 Body 3 Inner stopper mounting part 4 Overcap mounting part 5 Male threaded part 6 Engaging projection 10 Thinned/weakened part 11 Gap 12 Mounting cylinder part 13 Outer flange part 14 Threaded part 14a Vertical rib 15 Locking projection 16 Groove 20 Stopper cylinder 21 Inner flange part 22 Bottom wall 23 Knob part 23a Tip part 23b Connecting part 24 Notch

Claims (4)

A cap comprising an outer cap fitted to the outer circumference of the mouth of the container body, and a stopper body connected to the upper part of the outer cap via a detachable thin-walled weakened portion, which seals the inner circumference of the mouth,
The outer cap has a mounting cylinder portion whose inner circumference is fitted onto the outer circumference of the mouth of the container body, an outer flange portion extending inward from the upper end of the inner circumference of the mounting cylinder portion, with its lower surface abutting the upper end surface of the mouth, and a threaded portion provided on the inner circumference of the mounting cylinder portion that can be screwed into the mouth.
The stopper body has a stopper cylinder whose outer circumference is press-fitted into the inner circumference of the opening, an inner flange portion extending outward from the upper end of the stopper cylinder with its lower surface abutting the upper end surface of the opening, a bottom wall that closes the lower inner end of the stopper cylinder, and a knob portion that is bendably erected from the upper surface of the bottom wall.
A cap characterized in that, when the cap is opened, the outer cap rises while breaking the thin, weakened section by rotation, and the stopper body separated from the outer cap can be pulled up from the opening using the tab. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting cylinder portion has a plurality of vertical ribs on its inner circumference as threaded portions . The outer flange portion has a groove into which the tip of the knob portion of the plug body is inserted.
The cap according to claim 1 , characterized in that the inner circumferential flange portion is continuous with the groove portion of the outer circumferential flange portion and has a recessed notch portion into which a bent knob portion fits . The cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the thinned-wall weakened portion is formed intermittently with a gap in between .