Lid assembly and container with lid

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a cap assembly that simplifies the structure for attaching and detaching an inner plug relative to an outer cap, improves the cleanability of both the outer cap and the inner plug, and enhances design. [Solution] A cap body 8 is provided with an upper opening 2d that closes a container body 2. The cap body 8 includes: an outer cap 9, which has a female threaded portion 12 on its inner circumference and is screwed onto the female threaded portion 12 via a male threaded portion 6 to cover the upper opening 2d of the container body 2; an inner plug 10, which is inserted into the inner side of the container body 2 from the upper opening 2d; and a disassembly / attachment mechanism 11A for detachably attaching the inner plug 10 to the lower inner surface of the outer cap 9. The disassembly / attachment mechanism 11A has an engaging portion 16 provided on either the outer cap 9 or the inner plug 10, and a engaged portion 17 provided on the other. The engaging portion 16 engages with the engaged portion 17, thereby detachably attaching the inner plug 10 to the lower inner surface of the outer cap 9.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a lid assembly and a lidded container. [Previous Technology]

[0002] There has been a lidded container in the past, which has a lid assembly that is detachably installed on the upper open container body.

[0003] In addition, the lidded container has a lid assembly having an outer cover covering the neck of the container body and an inner plug inserted into the inside of the container body from the upper opening, and the outer cover or the inner plug is screwed onto the container body.

[0004] However, in the aforementioned lidded container, when cleaning the lid assembly removed from the container body, since the outer lid and inner plug are integrated by means of welding or other methods and cannot be separated, the gap between the outer lid and inner plug is narrow, making it difficult for the cleaning sponge to penetrate (for example, see Patent Document 1 below). Therefore, in the lid assembly, a structure in which the outer lid and inner plug are detachable is adopted to improve cleaning performance (for example, see Patent Documents 2 and 3 below).

[0005] Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses a cover assembly comprising an opening on the upper part of a container body having a female threaded portion on the inner side, an inner plug having a male threaded portion screwed into the opening, and an outer cover covering the outer side of the inner plug and fitted onto the upper outer side of the container body, wherein the inner plug and the outer cover are integrally integrated and cannot be separated.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 disclosed below discloses a cover assembly comprising: an outer cover surrounding the neck of a container body, wherein the container body has a female threaded portion on the inner side of the upper opening; and an inner plug being inserted into and screwed into a male threaded portion on the inner side of the container body from the upper opening, wherein the outer cover and the inner plug are detachable, and wherein the inner plug is slid toward the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover when the upper surface of the inner plug is in a position offset from the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover, thereby installing the inner plug on the outer cover.

[0007] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 disclosed below discloses a cap assembly comprising an outer cap that surrounds the neck of a container body, the container body having an internal threaded portion on its inner side; and an inner plug having an external threaded portion that is inserted into and screwed onto the inner side of the container body from the upper opening of the container body. The outer cap and the inner plug are detachable, and the inner plug is inserted from the upper side into the opening of the upper part of the outer cap, and the inner plug is installed on the outer cap with a flange portion protruding from the outer periphery of the upper end side of the inner plug in the expansion direction abutting against the periphery of the opening of the outer cap.

[0008] [Patent Documents] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 7522509; Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-147140; Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-146507 [Summary of the Invention]

[0009] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the invention described in Patent Document 2 above, when the inner plug is installed on the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover, the inner plug needs to be slid linearly towards the center of the outer cover. Therefore, the sliding direction of the inner plug relative to the outer cover must be defined, and the alignment direction must be performed before the installation operation. In addition, the upper surface of the inner plug must first be placed against the offset position of the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover before the inner plug is slid to the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover, thus requiring a two-action operation (or a three-action operation if the alignment direction is included). Furthermore, since the outer cover has holes such as engagement holes and sliding locking parts, part of the inner plug is visible from the outside, which is a poor design.

[0010] Furthermore, in the invention described in Patent Document 3 above, the outer cover is an annular shape with an opening at the top, which makes it prone to deformation during molding. Also, since the inner plug has a top surface and is integrated with the annular outer cover inserted from the top, the junction between the outer cover and the inner plug is very obvious, making it appear as if it consists of two parts, resulting in poor design. Furthermore, when inserting the inner plug into the outer cover from the top, it is necessary to first align it with the insertion position before proceeding, thus requiring two actions.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need for a structure that, while allowing the outer cover and inner plug to be detached, can further simplify the operation of removing and installing the inner plug relative to the outer cover and improve the design.

[0012] The present invention is made in view of the above-mentioned prior art, and its object is to provide a lid assembly that simplifies the construction of attaching and detaching the inner plug relative to the outer lid, improves the cleanability of the outer lid and the inner plug, and when the lid assembly is installed on the container body, the inner plug is not visible to improve the design, and further provides a lidded container with the lid assembly that improves the ease of use.

[0013] [Means for solving the problem] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides the following means. [1] A cover assembly is detachably mounted on a container body that has an open upper portion and a male threaded portion on its outer peripheral surface. The cover assembly includes a cover body that closes the upper opening of the container body. The cover body has: an outer cover that has a female threaded portion on its inner peripheral surface and is installed to cover the upper opening of the container body by screwing the male threaded portion and the female threaded portion together; an inner plug that is inserted into the inner side of the container body from the upper opening; and a disassembly mechanism that detachably mounts the inner plug to the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover. The disassembly mechanism has an engaging portion provided on either the outer cover or the inner plug, and a engaged portion provided on the other. The inner plug is detachably mounted to the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover by engaging the engaging portion with the engaged portion. [2] As described in [1], the disassembly mechanism causes the inner plug to rotate about an axis relative to the lower inner surface of the outer cover, thereby engaging the engaging portion with the engaged portion. [3] As described in [1], the engaged portion includes a plurality of engaging recesses disposed around the lower inner surface of the outer cover, and the engaging portion includes a plurality of engaging protrusions disposed on the outer periphery of the inner plug. The inner plug is installed on the outer cover by engaging the engaging protrusions with the engaging recesses. [4] As described in [1], the cover assembly includes a retaining mechanism that holds the upper surface of the inner plug against the lower inner surface of the outer cover. [5] As described in [4], the retaining mechanism has a magnet disposed on either the outer cover or the inner plug, and a magnet or a magnetic material disposed on the other, thereby retaining the upper surface of the inner plug against the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover by magnetic attraction acting between the outer cover and the inner plug. [6] As described in [4], the retaining mechanism has: a plurality of plungers disposed around the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover; and a flange portion protruding from the outer periphery of the upper end side of the inner plug in an expanding direction, thereby retaining the upper surface of the inner plug against the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover by engaging the flange portion between the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover and the plurality of plungers. [7] As described in [4], the retaining mechanism has: a plurality of resilient protrusions disposed around the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover; and a flange portion protruding from the outer periphery of the upper end side of the inner plug in an expanding direction, wherein the upper surface of the inner plug is held against the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover by engaging the flange portion between the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover and the plurality of resilient protrusions.[8] A lidded container comprising a lid assembly described in any one of [1] to [7] and a container body on which the lid assembly is mounted.

[0014] As described above, the present invention provides a lid assembly that simplifies the structure of attaching and detaching the inner plug relative to the outer lid, improves the cleanability of the outer lid and the inner plug, and enhances the design so that the inner plug is not visible when the lid assembly is installed on the container body, and can further improve the ease of use of the lid container by providing such a lid assembly.

Implementation Method

[0015] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. (First embodiment) First, as the first embodiment of the present invention, a lidded container 100A having a lid assembly 1A as shown in FIG1 to FIG12 will be described.

[0016] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a covered container 100A with a lid assembly 1A viewed from above. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the covered container 100A with a lid assembly 1A along line segment AA shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the covered container 100A with a lid assembly 1A along line segment BB shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lid assembly 1A. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the lid assembly 1A. Figure 6(A) is a perspective view of the outer cover 9 viewed from below, and Figure 6(B) is a lower surface view of the outer cover 9. Figure 7(A) is a perspective view of the inner plug 10 viewed from above, and Figure 7(B) is a perspective view of the inner plug 10 viewed from below. Figure 8(A) is a lower surface view showing the inner plug 10 not yet installed on the outer cover 9, and Figure 8(B) is a lower surface view showing the inner plug 10 installed on the outer cover 9. Figure 9(A) is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the engagement portion 16 not yet engaged with the engaged portion 17, and Figure 9(B) is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the engagement portion 16 engaged with the engaged portion 17. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the inner plug 10 inserted into the inner side of the upper opening 2d of the container body 2. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the inner plug 10, inserted into the inner side of the upper opening 2d of the container body 2, fitted onto the outer cover 9, and the engaged portion 17 placed on the engagement portion 16. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the upper surface of the inner plug 10, inserted into the inner side of the upper opening 2d of the container body 2, abutting against the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9, and the inner plug 10 installed on the outer cover 9.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the lidded container 100A of this embodiment includes a lid assembly 1A of this embodiment and a container body 2 for the lid assembly 1A to be detachably installed.

[0018] Furthermore, in the following description, the direction of extension of the central axis C of the cover assemblies 1A, 1B, and 1C is defined as the vertical direction. The positional direction of the cover assembly 1A relative to the container body 2 is referred to as the "upper side," and the positional direction of the container body 2 relative to the cover assembly 1A is referred to as the "lower side." The direction perpendicular to the central axis C is also referred to as the radial direction. Within the radial direction, the direction approaching the central axis C is called the constriction direction, the inner radial direction, or simply the inner side; the direction away from the central axis C is called the expansion direction, the outer radial direction, or simply the outer side. Furthermore, the direction of rotation about the central axis C is called the circumferential direction.

[0019] The lidded container 100A is a beverage container. Through the container body 2 with a vacuum insulation structure, the beverage (liquid) contained in the container body 2 can be kept cold (or warm).

[0020] Specifically, the container body 2 may include, for example, a bottomed cylindrical outer container 3 and an inner container 4 made of stainless steel or the like, and is a double-layered container in which the inner container 4 is housed inside the outer container 3 and the edges of the two are joined together.

[0021] 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 sealing the exhaust hole provided on the bottom surface of the outer container 3 in a chamber that has been depressurized to a high vacuum.

[0022] The container body 2 has a generally circular bottom 2a, a generally cylindrical body portion 2b that rises from the outer periphery of the bottom 2a, and a neck 2c located on the upper side of the body portion 2b and tapering to a generally cylindrical shape.

[0023] The upper end of the neck 2c is a circular opening, which serves as the upper opening 2d of the container body 2. Furthermore, the inner circumferential surface of the neck 2c (the upper side of the body 2b) is more constricted than the inner circumferential surface of the body 2b.

[0024] The outer peripheral surface of the neck 2c is provided with a male threaded portion 6. On the other hand, near the lower side of the inner peripheral surface of the neck 2c, there is an annular overhang 7 that protrudes along the entire circumference.

[0025] Furthermore, the lidded container 100A of this embodiment has an overall generally cylindrical shape, but the shape of the lidded container 100A is not particularly limited and can be appropriately modified according to size or design. In addition, the outer peripheral surface of the container body 2 (outer container 3) may also be coated or printed.

[0026] The lid assembly 1A of this embodiment constitutes a lid for opening and closing the upper opening 2d of the container body 2. Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, the lid assembly 1A includes a lid body 8 that closes the upper opening 2d of the container body 2 when it is inserted into the inside of the container body 2 from the upper opening 2d. The lid body 8 has a structure that is screwed onto the container body 2.

[0027] The cover body 8 has an outer cover 9 covering the upper opening 2d of the container body 2, an inner plug 10 inserted into the inner side of the container body 2 from the upper opening 2d, and a disassembly and assembly mechanism 11A for detachably installing the inner plug 10 on the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the outer cover 9 is made of, for example, heat-resistant resin, and has a peripheral wall portion 9a that is continuous with the body portion 2b of the container body 2 and is generally cylindrical, and an upper wall portion 9b that completely closes the upper outer periphery of the peripheral wall portion 9a. In addition, the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 9a (outer cover 9) is provided with a female thread portion 12.

[0029] In the lidded container 100A of this embodiment, the lid body 8 (lid assembly 1A) is detachably installed on the container body 2 by the engagement of the male threaded portion 6 and the female threaded portion 12.

[0030] Furthermore, the male thread portion 6 and the female thread portion 12 are composed of double-stranded threads that form complementary shapes. When using double-stranded threads, the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1A) can be disassembled and assembled relative to the container body 2 with less rotational operation (approximately 180° in this embodiment).

[0031] As shown in Figures 2 to 5 and Figure 7, the inner plug 10 is made of heat-resistant resin, for example, and has a bottom wall portion 10a that is generally circular, a peripheral wall portion 10b that is generally cylindrical and rises from the periphery of the bottom wall portion 10a, a top wall portion 10c that closes the upper part of the peripheral wall portion 10b, and a flange portion 10d that protrudes circumferentially in the expansion direction of the top wall portion 10c compared to the peripheral wall portion 10b.

[0032] The inner plug 10 has a lower plug member 13 with a bottom and a generally cylindrical shape forming a bottom wall portion 10a and a peripheral wall portion 10b, and an upper plug member 14 with a generally circular shape forming a top wall portion 10c and a flange portion 10d. The lower surface of the upper plug member 14 and the upper part of the lower plug member 13 are integrally installed by means of welding or the like.

[0033] Furthermore, the inner side of the inner plug 10 is provided with an insulation layer, such as an insulation material S made of foamed polyurethane resin. Air (void) may also be used instead of the insulation material S as the insulation layer.

[0034] A water-stopping gasket 15 is integrally installed on the outer periphery of the lower end side of the inner plug 10. The water-stopping gasket 15 is an annular sealing component that seals the space between the cantilever portion 7 of the container body 2 and the inner plug 10. It is made of elastic components such as heat-resistant rubber like silicone or elastomers. The water-stopping gasket 15 is integrally formed with the inner plug 10 through insertion molding.

[0035] The inner plug 10 has: a first protrusion 15a protruding inward from the upper part of the inner circumferential side of the water-stopping washer 15; a first recess 10e with a shape corresponding to the first protrusion 15a; a second protrusion 15b protruding upward from the lower part of the inner circumferential side of the water-stopping washer 15; and a second recess 10f with a shape corresponding to the second protrusion 15b. Furthermore, the inner plug 10 has: a third recess 15c of the water-stopping washer 15, located between the first protrusion 15a and the second protrusion 15b of the water-stopping washer 15, and formed between the first recess 10e and the second recess 10f of the inner plug 10; and a third protrusion 10g having a shape corresponding to the third recess 15c.

[0036] In the cover assembly 1A of this embodiment, the first protrusion 15a of the water-stop washer 15 protruding inward is integrally formed with the first recess 10e of the inner plug 10, and the second protrusion 15b of the water-stop washer 15 protruding upward is integrally formed with the second recess 10f of the inner plug 10. Furthermore, the third recess 15c of the water-stop washer 15 is integrally formed with the third protrusion 10g of the inner plug 10 to increase the surface area of ​​each contact. Through the anchoring effect, the sealing strength of the water-stop washer 15 installed on the inner plug 10 (cover body 8) can be improved.

[0037] Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the water-stopping washer 15 is provided with two elastic flange portions 15d protruding in the expansion direction. When the cap body 8 (cap assembly 1A) is installed on the container body 2, the elastic flange portions 15d of the water-stopping washer 15 will elastically deform and become fully sealed with the overhang portion 7 of the container body 2. Thus, the overhang portion 7 (container body 2) and the inner plug 10 (cap body 8) can be sealed (water-stopped).

[0038] Furthermore, the water-stopping washer 15 need not be limited to the above shape. For example, the number of elastic flange portions 15d is not limited to the above two, but may be one or more.

[0039] Furthermore, the waterproof gasket 15 is not limited to having the above-mentioned elastic flange portion 15d, and its shape and other features can be appropriately modified. For example, the outer peripheral surface of the waterproof gasket 15 can be bent and protruded from the upper end to the lower end to form an elastic flange portion.

[0040] Furthermore, the water-stopping gasket 15 is not limited to a structure that is integrally installed on the outer periphery of the lower end side of the inner plug 10, but can also be a structure that can be detachably installed on the outer periphery of the lower end side of the inner plug 10.

[0041] In this configuration, the water-stopping gasket 15 can be removed from the outer periphery of the lower end side of the inner plug 10 by elastically deforming (stretching) the water-stopping gasket 15. As a result, the water-stopping gasket 15 and the inner plug 10 (cover body 8) can be cleaned separately, and the water-stopping gasket 15 and the inner plug 10 can be maintained in a hygienic manner.

[0042] As shown in Figures 2 to 9, the disassembly and assembly mechanism 11A has an engaging portion 16 provided in either the outer cover 9 or the inner plug 10 (in this embodiment, the inner plug 10), and a engaged portion 17 provided in the other one (in this embodiment, the outer cover 9).

[0043] The engaging portion 16 has a plurality of engaging protrusions 16a (four in this embodiment) provided on the outer periphery of the inner plug 10. The four engaging protrusions 16a are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the inner plug 10. Each engaging protrusion 16a protrudes from the outer periphery of the flange portion 10d in the direction of increasing diameter, and the protruding portion is formed by protruding downward from the lower surface of the flange portion 10d.

[0044] The engaging portion 17 has a plurality of engaging recesses 17a (four in this embodiment) provided on the inner side of the outer cover 9. The four engaging recesses 17a are arranged at equal intervals (every 1 / 4 circumference) along the circumference of the outer cover 9. Each engaging recess 17a is formed on one side by a rib wall 17b protruding downward from the inner lower surface of the upper wall portion 9b along the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall portion 9a, and an engaging claw portion 17c extending continuously in a "く"-shaped bend from the front end (lower end) side of the rib wall 17b to one side in the circumferential direction. In addition, the surface opposite (the other side) of the engaging recess 17a of the rib wall 17b is an abutting surface 17d.

[0045] As shown in Figures 8(A) and 9(A), the disassembly and assembly mechanism 11A is positioned such that the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) abuts against the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b). At this time, the plurality of engaging protrusions 16a are respectively located between the plurality of engaging recesses 17a that are adjacent in the circumferential direction.

[0046] From this state, as shown in FIG8(A) and FIG9(A), the inner plug 10 is rotated relative to the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 along the engagement side around the axis (counterclockwise direction in the lower view of FIG8(A) in this embodiment), thereby making one end of the plurality of engagement protrusions 16a (engaging parts 16) engage with the plurality of engagement recesses 17a (engaged parts 17) respectively.

[0047] Specifically, as shown in Figures 8(B) and 9(B), the front end of the engaging claw portion 17c, which bends and extends circumferentially to one side, is inserted into the lower side (upper side in Figure 9(B)) of one end of the engaging protrusion 16a (engaging portion 16) in the circumferential direction, so that one end of the circumferential direction of the plurality of engaging protrusions 16a (engaging portion 16) is respectively engaged with the plurality of engaging recesses 17a (engaged portion 17). Thereby, the inner plug 10 can be detachably and freely installed on the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 through the disassembly and assembly mechanism 11A.

[0048] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 4 and Figures 10 to 12, the cover assembly 1A of this embodiment has a retaining mechanism 18A for retaining the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) against the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b).

[0049] The retaining mechanism 18A has a first magnet 19 in the shape of a circular plate provided on the side of the outer cover 9, and a second magnet 20 in the shape of a circular plate provided on the side of the inner plug 10.

[0050] The first magnet 19 is disposed in the center of the upper wall portion 9b and is embedded in the resin forming the outer cover 9 by forming it integrally with the outer cover 9.

[0051] The second magnet 20 is located in the center of the top wall portion 10c, and is configured to be embedded in the resin forming the upper plug member 14 by being integrally formed with the upper plug member 14 constituting the inner plug 10.

[0052] Furthermore, the first and second magnets 19 and 20 are not necessarily limited to the structure formed integrally with the outer cover 9 and the upper plug member 14 (inner plug 10) as described above. They can also be configured to be disposed inside the recesses formed in the upper wall portion 9b and the top wall portion 10c, and to be provided with a magnetically permeable cover plate that closes the recesses.

[0053] In the holding mechanism 18A, the magnetic attraction between the first magnet 19 and the second magnet 20 can hold the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) against the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b) in a state where the central axes of the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 are aligned.

[0054] In this embodiment, the retaining mechanism 18A is constructed by arranging magnets 19 and 20 on both the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10. However, the magnets can also be arranged on either the outer cover 9 or the inner plug 10, and the magnetic material can be arranged on the other, so that the magnetic material is attracted by the magnets.

[0055] The lidded container 100A of this embodiment with the above structure can be installed on the container body 2 by rotating the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) relative to the container body 2 in a clockwise direction (hereinafter referred to as "closing direction") in the upper view through the engagement of the male thread 6 and the female thread 12.

[0056] On the other hand, from the state where the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1A) is installed on the container body 2, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) can be rotated relative to the container body 2 in the counterclockwise direction (hereinafter referred to as the "opening direction") in the upper view, thereby releasing the engagement between the male threaded part 6 and the female threaded part 12, and removing the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1A) from the container body 2.

[0057] Furthermore, in the cover assembly 1A of this embodiment, the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 constituting the cover body 8 are detachable through the aforementioned disassembly mechanism 11A and retaining mechanism 18A. This allows the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 to be cleaned separately, and maintains the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 in a hygienic manner. In addition, since the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 are separable, drying and wiping away moisture are also easier.

[0058] Furthermore, in the cover assembly 1A of this embodiment, the disassembly and assembly structure of the inner plug 10 relative to the outer cover 9 can be simplified by means of the above-mentioned disassembly and assembly mechanism 11A and holding mechanism 18A, and the cover body 8 can be easily installed to the container body 2.

[0059] Specifically, when this cover assembly 1A is installed onto the container body 2, as shown in FIG10, the inner plug 10 is embedded inside the container body 2 from the upper opening 2d. From this state, as shown in FIG5, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) is moved in the direction of arrow F1 to cover the inner plug 10, and the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the closing direction (clockwise from the top view).

[0060] At this time, in the retaining mechanism 18A, instead of the outer cover 9's engaging recess 17a being placed on the inner plug 10's engaging protrusion 16a as shown in FIG11, as shown in FIG8(A) and FIG9(A), the multiple engaging protrusions 16a are positioned between the multiple engaging recesses 17a that are adjacent in the circumferential direction. By means of the magnetic attraction force generated between the first magnet 19 and the second magnet 20, the center of the inner lower surface of the outer cover 9 (upper wall 9b) abuts against the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall 10c) which is embedded inside from the upper opening 2d of the container body 2. Similarly, by means of the magnetic attraction force generated between the first magnet 19 and the second magnet 20, the upper surface of the inner plug 10 is held against the center of the inner lower surface of the outer cover 9.

[0061] Furthermore, even from a slightly separated state between the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10, the aforementioned magnetic attraction allows the upper surface of the inner plug 10 to abut against the center of the inner lower surface of the outer cover 9. Therefore, the operation is semi-automatic and simple, providing a good user experience. Moreover, since the multiple engaging protrusions 16a are located between the multiple engaging recesses 17a that are adjacent in the circumferential direction, the installation operation can be performed simply by bringing the upper surface of the inner plug 10 close to the center of the inner lower surface of the outer cover 9. Therefore, it is not necessary to align the installation position of the inner plug 10 relative to the outer cover 9, and orientation is not a concern, making it very convenient.

[0062] Here, although the possibility is extremely low, the following description will focus on the case where, unintentionally, the engaging recess 17a of the outer cover 9 is placed on the engaging protrusion 16a of the inner plug 10, as shown in FIG11. In this case, as long as it has not been installed on the outer cover 9 or the container body 2, even the inner plug 10 can be rotated in any circumferential direction relative to the other, thereby easily changing the state shown in FIG8(A) and FIG9(A), so that the multiple engaging protrusions 16a are located between the multiple engaging recesses 17a that are adjacent in the circumferential direction. Since the direction of rotation is not restricted in the circumferential direction, there is no need for the operation of position alignment, making the operation simple.

[0063] In addition, the engaging claw portion 17c is bent into a "U" shape on the circumferential side. Therefore, depending on the mounting state, even if the cover body 8 is turned upside down, it can automatically change to a state in which the multiple engaging protrusions 16a are located between the multiple engaging recesses 17a that are adjacent in the circumferential direction by means of gravity or the magnetic attraction between the first magnet 19 and the second magnet 20.

[0064] Furthermore, from the state where the multiple engaging protrusions 16a are located between the multiple engaging recesses 17a that are adjacent in the circumferential direction, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) covering the inner plug 10 is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the closing direction (clockwise in the top view), thereby making the other circumferential end of each engaging protrusion 16a abut against the abutment surface 17d of the rib wall 17b.

[0065] From this state, when the outer cover 9 constituting the cover body 8 is rotated in the closing direction, each abutting surface 17d will push the other circumferential end of each engaging protrusion 16a circumferentially upward, causing the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 to rotate as a unit. Thus, by the engagement of the male thread 6 and the female thread 12, the cover body 8 can be installed on the container body 2, thereby allowing the upper opening 2d of the container body 2 to be closed by the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1A).

[0066] On the other hand, when the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1A) is removed from the container body 2, as shown in FIG8(B), FIG9(B) and FIG12, by rotating the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) relative to the container body 2 in the opening direction (counterclockwise direction in the top view), one end of each engaging protrusion 16a is engaged with each engaging recess 17a in the circumferential direction.

[0067] Specifically, the front end of the engaging claw portion 17c, which bends and extends to one side in the circumferential direction, is inserted into the lower side (upper side in FIG9(B)) of one end of the engaging protrusion 16a (engaging portion 16) in the circumferential direction, so that one end of the circumferential direction of the plurality of engaging protrusions 16a (engaging portion 16) is respectively engaged with the plurality of engaging recesses 17a (engaged portion 17).

[0068] From this state, the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 constituting the cover body 8 are further rotated integrally in the opening direction. Each engaging recess 17a pushes one end of each engaging protrusion 16a laterally in the circumferential direction, causing the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 to rotate integrally. In this way, the engagement between the male thread 6 and the female thread 12 is released, and the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1A) can be integrally removed from the container body 2 to open the upper opening 2d of the container body 2.

[0069] Furthermore, in the cap assembly 1A of this embodiment, the upper surface of the inner plug 10 is held against the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cap 9 by the magnetic attraction between the first magnet 19 and the second magnet 20, thereby engaging one end of each engaging protrusion 16a with each engaging recess 17a in the circumferential direction. In this way, the inner plug 10 can be prevented from falling off the outer cap 9 when the cap body 8 (cap assembly 1A) is removed from the container body 2.

[0070] Furthermore, the engaging claw portion 17c of each engaging recess 17a extends in a "U" shape from the front end (lower end) of the rib wall 17b to one side in the circumferential direction. The front end of the engaging claw portion 17c is inserted into the lower side (upper side in FIG. 9(B)) of one end of the engaging protrusion 16a in the circumferential direction, forming an engagement. This allows the inner plug 10 to be lifted upwards while rotating. Therefore, even if a negative pressure is formed inside the container body 2, and the inner plug 10 (cap body 8) adheres to the container body 2, the inner plug 10 can be prevented from falling off the outer cap 9, and the cap body 8 (cap assembly 1A) can be removed from the container body 2.

[0071] Furthermore, in the cover assembly 1A of this embodiment, when installed on the container body 2, since the peripheral wall portion 9a and the upper wall portion 9b of the outer cover 9 cover the inner plug 10, the inner plug 10 cannot be seen, nor can the interface between the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10. Therefore, even if a gap is generated when the resin components are fitted, it will not appear between the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10, which improves design flexibility.

[0072] In addition, the outer cover 9 is covered by the peripheral wall portion 9a and the upper wall portion 9b covers the top surface, so it is not easy to deform during molding compared with the annular component with a hole in the center.

[0073] In addition, to remove the inner plug 10 from the outer cover 9, simply apply a pulling force to the outer cover 9 in the opposite direction to arrow F1 in Figure 5 relative to the inner plug 10, or apply a pulling force to the inner plug 10 in the opposite direction to arrow F2 in Figure 5 relative to the outer cover 9. The operation is simple.

[0074] As described above, in the cover assembly 1A of this embodiment, the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 have a detachable structure, which simplifies the above-mentioned structure for attaching and detaching the inner plug 10 relative to the outer cover 9, further simplifies the operation of attaching and detaching the inner plug 10 relative to the outer cover 9, and improves the design.

[0075] Furthermore, in the cap assembly 1A of this embodiment, the following example is illustrated: starting from a state where only the inner plug 10 is inserted into the upper opening 2d of the container body 2, the cap body 8 is installed on the container body 2 by rotating the outer cap 9 (cap body 8) which is later fitted onto the inner plug 10 in the closing direction. Alternatively, the cap body 8 can be installed on the container body 2 by first installing the inner plug 10 onto the outer cap 9 using the aforementioned disassembly and assembly mechanism 11A and holding mechanism 18A, then inserting the inner plug 10 into the inner side of the container body 2 from the upper opening 2d, and rotating the outer cap 9 (cap body 8) relative to the container body 2 in the closing direction.

[0076] Furthermore, this operation is largely the same as and simpler than the operation described above. That is, as shown by arrow F2 in FIG5, the upper surface of the inner plug 10 is brought close to the center of the lower inner surface of the outer cover 9 by first positioning the plurality of engaging protrusions 16a of the inner plug 10 between adjacent engaging recesses 17a of the plurality of engaging recesses 17a of the outer cover 9 in the circumferential direction. In this way, the installation operation can be performed simply by bringing the inner plug 10 close to the outer cover 9, making the operation simple.

[0077] Furthermore, in the cover assembly 1A of this embodiment, as shown in the lower view of FIG8(A), by rotating the inner plug 10 relative to the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover 9 along the engagement side (counterclockwise) about the axis, one end of each engagement protrusion 16a is engaged with each engagement recess 17a in the circumferential direction. Conversely, by rotating the inner plug 10 relative to the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover 9 from the beginning in the opposite direction about the axis (clockwise in the lower view of FIG8(A),) the other end of each engagement protrusion 16a is engaged with each engagement recess 17a in the circumferential direction.

[0078] In this configuration, when the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1A) is removed from the container body 2, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the opening direction (counterclockwise direction in the top view) so that one end of the circumferential direction of the engaging protrusion 16a abuts against the abutting surface 17d of the rib wall 17b forming the engaging recess 17a.

[0079] From this state, the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 constituting the cover body 8 are rotated together in the opening direction. This causes each contact surface 17d to push circumferentially against one end of each engaging protrusion 16a, causing the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 to rotate together. This disengages the threaded connection between the male threaded portion 6 and the female threaded portion 12.

[0080] At this time, the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) is held in contact with the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b) by the magnetic attraction of the retaining mechanism 18A. Therefore, the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1A) can be removed from the container body 2 as a whole, and the upper opening 2d of the container body 2 can be opened.

[0081] Furthermore, in the cap assembly 1A of this embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the neck 2c of the container body 2 is provided with a male threaded portion 6, and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 9a of the outer cap 9 is provided with a female threaded portion 12. Through the engagement of the male threaded portion 6 and the female threaded portion 12, the cap body 8 (cap assembly 1A) can be detachably installed on the container body 2.

[0082] Here, we will describe the case in which the male and female threads of the cover assembly 1A of this embodiment are interchanged, with the female thread portion located inside the upper opening 2d of the container body 2 and the male thread portion located on the peripheral wall 10b of the inner plug 10.

[0083] For example, when lifting the lidded container 100A, if the outer cover 9 is grasped and lifted, if it is slowly lifted in the vertical direction (upward direction), the lidded container 100A may be lifted by the disassembly mechanism 11A and the holding mechanism 18A.

[0084] On the other hand, when the vertical pull-out strength of the assembly / disassembly mechanism 11A and the retaining mechanism 18A is compared with the same pull-out strength generated by the engagement of the male thread portion 6 and the female thread portion 12, the latter is obviously higher.

[0085] The disassembly and assembly mechanism 11A is designed to lift the inner plug 10 upward and rotate it together with the outer cover 9 when the cover body 8 is rotated circumferentially, and is not designed to provide high tensile strength in the vertical direction. In addition, the retaining mechanism 18A is also a mechanism to make the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 easy to disassemble and assemble. If the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 are too tightly fitted, they will not be easy to disassemble.

[0086] Therefore, if the lidded container 100A is lifted by holding the outer cover 9, or if the lidded container 100A is tilted or subjected to vibration, the inner plug 10 will easily fall off the outer cover 9, causing the container body 2 with the inner plug 10 installed to fall off, creating a hazard. This tendency is more pronounced when the container body 2 is usually filled with beverages or the like, as the weight increases.

[0087] In addition, when the lidded container 100A is placed in a bag for carrying, if an unintentional upward force is applied to the outer cover 9 inside the bag, the outer cover 9 may easily fall off the inner plug 10.

[0088] In view of this point, in the cover assembly 1A of this embodiment, it is important that the outer peripheral surface of the container body 2 is provided with a male threaded portion 6, and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 9a of the outer cover 9 is provided with a female threaded portion 12. On the other hand, it is practically impossible to reverse the male threaded portion 6 and the female threaded portion 12, to place the female threaded portion 12 inside the upper opening portion 2d of the container body 2, and to place the male threaded portion 6 in the peripheral wall portion 10b of the inner plug 10.

[0089] As described above, in the cover assembly 1A of this embodiment, the structure for attaching and detaching the inner plug 10 relative to the outer cover 9 is simplified, the cleanability of the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 is improved, and the inner plug 10 is not visible when the cover assembly 1A is installed on the container body 2, thus improving the design.

[0090] Therefore, the lidded container 100A equipped with this lid assembly 1A can further improve ease of use.

[0091] (Second Embodiment) Hereinafter, a lidded container 100B having, for example, the lid assembly 1B shown in FIG13 and FIG14 will be described as a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0092] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the cover assembly 1B. Figure 14 is a perspective view of the outer cover 9 of the cover assembly 1B viewed from the inside. Furthermore, in the following description, the parts that are the same as those in the cover assembly 1A described above will be omitted from the description and will be given the same symbols in the figures.

[0093] The lid assembly 1B of this embodiment can be detachably installed on the container body 2 (not shown) to form a lidded container 100B.

[0094] Specifically, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, this cover assembly 1B has a disassembly mechanism 11B and a retaining mechanism 18B, which replace the aforementioned disassembly mechanism 11A and retaining mechanism 18A.

[0095] The disassembly and assembly mechanism 11B has an engaging portion 16 provided in either the outer cover 9 or the inner plug 10 (in this embodiment, the inner plug 10), and a engaged portion 17 provided in the other one (in this embodiment, the outer cover 9).

[0096] The engaging portion 16 has a plurality of engaging protrusions 16a (four in this embodiment) provided on the outer periphery of the inner plug 10. The four engaging protrusions 16a are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the inner plug 10. Each engaging protrusion 16a protrudes from the outer periphery of the flange portion 10d in the direction of increasing diameter, and the protruding portion is formed by protruding downward from the lower surface of the flange portion 10d.

[0097] The engaging portion 17 has a plurality of engaging recesses 17a (four in this embodiment) provided on the inner side of the outer cover 9. The four engaging recesses 17a are arranged at equal intervals (every 1 / 4 circumference) along the circumference of the outer cover 9. Each engaging recess 17a is formed by recessing one side of the circumferential side of the convex wall 17e, which protrudes downward from the inner lower surface of the upper wall portion 9b along the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential wall portion 9a. Furthermore, the surface of the convex wall 17e opposite to the engaging recess 17a (the other side) is the abutting surface 17d.

[0098] The disassembly and assembly mechanism 11B is in a state in which the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) abuts against the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b). At this time, the plurality of engaging protrusions 16a are respectively located between the circumferentially adjacent engaging recesses 17a of the plurality of engaging recesses 17a.

[0099] From this state, the inner plug 10 is rotated along the engagement side (counterclockwise in the lower view in this embodiment) relative to the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover 9, thereby making one end of the plurality of engagement protrusions 16a (engaging parts 16) engage with the plurality of engagement recesses 17a (engaged parts 17) in the circumferential direction.

[0100] Specifically, the front end of the engaging claw portion 17c, which bends and extends circumferentially to one side, is inserted into the lower side (upper side in FIG. 9(B)) of one end of the engaging protrusion 16a (engaging portion 16) in the circumferential direction, so that one end of the circumferential direction of the plurality of engaging protrusions 16a (engaging portion 16) is respectively engaged with the plurality of engaging recesses 17a (engaged portion 17). In this way, the inner plug 10 can be detachably installed on the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9.

[0101] In addition, the cover assembly 1B of this embodiment has a retaining mechanism 18B for retaining the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) against the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b).

[0102] The retaining mechanism 18B has a plurality of plungers 21 (four in this embodiment) located around the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover, and a flange portion 10d protruding from the outer periphery of the upper end side of the inner plug 10 in the expansion direction.

[0103] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, a plurality of plungers 21 are installed in a state of being embedded in mounting holes 17f, which are provided from the opposing surfaces (inner peripheral surfaces) of a plurality of protruding walls 17e in the outward peripheral direction. Each plunger 21 has a structure in which a ball or pin (in this embodiment, a ball) 21a provided at its inner front end is pushed outward peripherally against the potential energy imparted by a spring 21b provided at its outer peripheral side. Therefore, each plunger 21 can be embedded in the mounting hole 17f with the front end of the ball 21a protruding further inward than the surface of the opposing surfaces (inner peripheral surfaces) of the protruding walls 17e, and is installed in this state.

[0104] The retaining mechanism 18B, with the plurality of engaging protrusions 16a respectively located between the plurality of engaging recesses 17a in the circumferential direction, presses the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) against the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b).

[0105] At this time, the flange 10d that abuts against the ball 21a of each plunger 21 resists the potential energy imparted by the spring 21b and pushes the ball 21a outward while flipping it over. The upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall 10c) abuts against the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 (upper wall 9b). In this way, the ball 21a that is imparted potential energy by the spring 21b becomes a state of protruding inward from the surface of the opposite surface (inner peripheral surface) of the convex wall 17e.

[0106] This results in the flange portion 10d being engaged between the lower inner surface of the outer cover 9 and the ball 21a of the plurality of plungers 21. As described above, the retaining mechanism 18B aligns the central axes of the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10, and retains the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) against the center of the lower inner surface of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b).

[0107] The cover assembly 1B of this embodiment, having the above-described structure, allows the outer cover 9 and inner plug 10 of the cover body 8 to be detachable via the disassembly / removal mechanism 11B and the holding mechanism 18B. This allows the outer cover 9 and inner plug 10 to be cleaned separately, maintaining a hygienic relationship between them. Furthermore, since the outer cover 9 and inner plug 10 are separable, drying and wiping away moisture are also easier.

[0108] Furthermore, in the cover assembly 1B of this embodiment, the structure for disassembling and assembling the inner plug 10 relative to the outer cover 9 is simplified by means of the above-mentioned disassembly and assembly mechanism 11B and holding mechanism 18B, and the cover body 8 can be easily installed on the container body 2.

[0109] Specifically, when this cover assembly 1B is installed on the container body 2, the inner plug 10 is embedded inside the upper opening 2d of the container body 2. In this state, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) is fitted onto the inner plug 10, and the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the closing direction (clockwise in the top view).

[0110] At this time, the retaining mechanism 18B is positioned such that the multiple engaging protrusions 16a are located between the multiple engaging recesses 17a that are adjacent in the circumferential direction. Therefore, by simply pushing the outer cover 9 towards the inner plug 10, the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c), which is inserted into the inner side of the upper opening 2d of the container body 2, abuts against the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b). Similarly, the state in which the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 abuts against the upper surface of the inner plug 10 can be maintained by the multiple plungers 21.

[0111] Furthermore, as the flange portion 10d of the inner plug 10 resists the potential energy imparted by the spring 21b, the ball 21a is pushed outwards and flipped over, resulting in a clicking sensation, indicating that the inner plug 10 has been successfully installed on the outer cover 9. Moreover, the installation operation can be performed simply by pressing the center of the lower inner surface of the outer cover 9 against the upper surface of the inner plug 10, or by pressing the upper surface of the inner plug 10 against the center of the lower inner inner surface of the outer cover 9. Therefore, the operation is a single, simple action, providing a good user experience. Furthermore, there is no need to align the inner plug 10 with the installation position of the outer cover 9, eliminating concerns about orientation, which is very convenient.

[0112] Furthermore, when the multiple engaging protrusions 16a are respectively located between the multiple engaging recesses 17a in the circumferential direction of each engaging recess 17a, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) fitted on the inner plug 10 is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the closing direction (clockwise direction in the top view), so that the other circumferential end of each engaging protrusion 16a abuts against the abutting surface 17d of the protruding wall 17e.

[0113] From this state, the outer cover 9 constituting the cover body 8 is further rotated in the closing direction, thereby pushing each abutment surface 17d circumferentially against the other end of each engaging protrusion 16a, causing the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 to rotate together. Thus, the cover body 8 can be installed on the container body 2 through the engagement of the male thread 6 and the female thread 12, and the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1B) can close the upper opening 2d of the container body 2.

[0114] On the other hand, when the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1B) is removed from the container body 2, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the opening direction (counterclockwise direction in the top view), thereby making one end of each engaging protrusion 16a engage with each engaging recess 17a in the circumferential direction.

[0115] From this state, the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 constituting the cover body 8 are rotated integrally in the opening direction, thereby pushing one end of the circumferential direction of each engaging recess 17a towards the circumferential direction, causing the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 to rotate integrally. This releases the engagement between the male thread 6 and the female thread 12, allowing the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1B) to be integrally removed from the container body 2, opening the upper opening 2d of the container body 2.

[0116] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cap assembly 1B maintains the state in which the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) abuts against the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cap 9 (upper wall portion 9b) through the aforementioned plurality of plungers 21, and one end of each engaging protrusion 16a engages with each engaging recess 17a in the circumferential direction. In this way, when the cap body 8 (cap assembly 1B) is removed from the container body 2, the inner plug 10 can be prevented from falling off the outer cap 9.

[0117] In addition, the following features are the same as those of the cap assembly 1A described above: it can handle situations where the engaging recess 17a of the outer cap 9 is unintentionally placed on the engaging protrusion 16a of the inner plug 10, or the cap body 8 (cap assembly 1B) can be removed from the container body 2 even when the container body 2 is under negative pressure; it can improve the design of the cap assembly 1B; the shape of the outer cap 9 is not easily deformed; and the outer cap 9 and the inner plug 10 can be easily removed.

[0118] Furthermore, a male threaded portion 6 must be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the container body 2, and a female threaded portion 12 must be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 9a of the outer cover 9. The male thread and the female thread cannot be interchanged, that is, the female threaded portion cannot be provided on the inner side of the upper opening portion 2d of the container body 2, and the male threaded portion cannot be provided on the peripheral wall portion 10b of the inner plug 10. This point is also the same as the cover assembly 1A described above.

[0119] As described above, the cover assembly 1B of this embodiment can simplify the construction of the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10, and can simplify the operation of removing and installing the inner plug 10 from the outer cover 9.

[0120] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the lid assembly 1B, the following example is shown: starting from the state where only the inner plug 10 is inserted into the inner side of the container body 2 through the upper opening 2d, the outer cover 9 (lid body 8) which is later fitted onto the inner plug 10 is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the closing direction, thereby installing the lid body 8 onto the container body 2. Alternatively, the inner plug 10 can be first installed onto the outer cover 9 through the aforementioned disassembly mechanism 11B and holding mechanism 18B, then the inner plug 10 is inserted into the inner side of the container body 2 through the upper opening 2d, and then the outer cover 9 (lid body 8) is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the closing direction, thereby installing the lid body 8 onto the container body 2.

[0121] Furthermore, this operation is the same as and simpler than the operation of the cover assembly 1A described above. That is, the upper surface of the inner plug 10 is pushed into the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover 9, so that the plurality of engaging protrusions 16a of the inner plug 10 are located between adjacent engaging recesses 17a in the circumferential direction of the plurality of engaging recesses 17a of the outer cover 9. In this way, the installation operation can be performed simply by pushing the inner plug 10 into the outer cover 9, making the operation simple.

[0122] Furthermore, although the cover assembly 1B of this embodiment is constructed such that one end of each engaging protrusion 16a engages with each engaging recess 17a by rotating the inner plug 10 relative to the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 along the engaging side (counterclockwise direction in the lower view) around the axis, it can also be configured such that the other end of each engaging protrusion 16a engages with each engaging recess 17a by rotating the inner plug 10 in the opposite direction (clockwise direction in the lower view) around the axis.

[0123] In this configuration, when the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1B) is removed from the container body 2, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the opening direction (counterclockwise direction in the top view) to a state in which one end of the circumferential direction of the engaging protrusion 16a abuts against the abutting surface 17d of the protruding wall 17e.

[0124] From this state, the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 constituting the cover body 8 are rotated together in the opening direction, thereby pushing the contact surface 17d toward one end of the circumferential engagement protrusion 16a, causing the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 to rotate together, thereby releasing the engagement between the male threaded portion 6 and the female threaded portion 12.

[0125] At this time, the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) is held against the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b) by means of the plunger 21 of the holding mechanism 18B. Therefore, the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1B) can be removed integrally from the container body 2, and the upper opening 2d of the container body 2 can be opened.

[0126] As described above, the cover assembly 1B of this embodiment forms a detachable structure with the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10, which simplifies the construction of removing and installing the inner plug 10 relative to the outer cover 9, improves the cleanability of the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10, and makes the inner plug 10 invisible when the cover assembly 1B is installed on the container body 2, thus improving the design.

[0127] Therefore, the lidded container 100B with this lid component 1B can further improve the ease of use.

[0128] (Third Embodiment) Next, as a third embodiment of the present invention, a lidded container 100C having a lid assembly 1C, as shown in FIG15 and FIG16, will be described.

[0129] Additionally, Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the cover assembly 1C. Figure 16 is a perspective view of the outer cover 9 of the cover assembly 1C viewed from the inside. Furthermore, in the following description, the parts that are the same as those in the cover assemblies 1A and 1B described above will be omitted from the description and will be given the same symbols in the figures.

[0130] The lid assembly 1C of this embodiment is detachably and freely installed on the container body 2 (not shown in the figure), thereby forming a lidded container 100C.

[0131] Specifically, the cover assembly 1C, replacing the aforementioned disassembly and assembly mechanism 11A, includes the aforementioned disassembly and assembly mechanism 11B. Furthermore, the cover assembly 1C, replacing the aforementioned disassembly and assembly mechanism 11A, includes a holding mechanism 18C that holds the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) against the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b).

[0132] The retaining mechanism 18C has a plurality of elastic members 22 (four in this embodiment) provided on the inner side of the outer cover, and a flange portion 10d that protrudes from the outer periphery of the upper end side of the inner plug 10 in the direction of diameter expansion. The plurality of elastic members 22 are arranged at equal intervals (every 1 / 4 circumference) on the circumference of the outer cover 9.

[0133] As shown in Figures 15 and 16, a plurality of elastic members 22 are composed of topped cylindrical members formed of, for example, heat-resistant rubber or elastomers such as silicone. The plurality of elastic members 22 are installed in mounting holes 17f provided in the outward peripheral direction from the opposing surfaces (inner peripheral surfaces) of the plurality of protruding walls 17e. Furthermore, each elastic member 22 has a structure that allows its elastic protrusion 22a, located at its inner front end, to be pushed outward peripherally (inside the mounting hole 17f) while elastically deforming. Therefore, each elastic member 22 is installed in the mounting hole 17f with its elastic protrusion 22a protruding inward from the surface of the opposing surfaces (inner peripheral surfaces) of the protruding wall 17e.

[0134] The retaining mechanism 18C, with the plurality of engaging protrusions 16a respectively located between each of the plurality of engaging recesses 17a in the circumferential direction, presses the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) against the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b).

[0135] At this time, after the flange portion 10d of the elastic protrusion 22a that is abutted against each elastic member 22 is flipped over while the elastic protrusion 22a is elastically deformed to the outer periphery, the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) abuts against the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b), thereby making the elastic protrusion 22a that has elastically recovered protrudes further inward than the surface of the opposing surface (inner peripheral surface) of the protrusion wall 17e.

[0136] This results in the flange portion 10d of the inner plug 10 being engaged between the lower inner surface of the outer cover 9 and the elastic protrusions 22a of the plurality of elastic members 22. Thus, the retaining mechanism 18C aligns the central axes of the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10, thereby maintaining the state in which the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) abuts against the center of the lower inner surface of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b).

[0137] The cover assembly 1C of this embodiment, having the structure described above, allows the outer cover 9 and inner plug 10 of the cover body 8 to form a detachable structure through the disassembly mechanism 11B and the holding mechanism 18C. This allows the outer cover 9 and inner plug 10 to be cleaned separately and to be maintained hygienically. Furthermore, since the outer cover 9 and inner plug 10 are separable, drying and wiping away moisture are also easier.

[0138] Furthermore, the cover assembly 1C of this embodiment can simplify the structure of detaching and detaching the inner plug 10 relative to the outer cover 9 through the above-mentioned disassembly and assembly mechanism 11B and retaining mechanism 18C, and can easily install the cover body 8 onto the container body 2.

[0139] Specifically, when the cover assembly 1C is installed on the container body 2, the inner plug 10 is inserted into the inner side of the container body 2 from the upper opening 2d. From this state, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) is fitted onto the inner plug 10, and the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the closing direction (clockwise direction in the top view).

[0140] At this time, the retaining mechanism 18C is positioned such that the multiple engaging protrusions 16a are located between the multiple engaging recesses 17a that are adjacent in the circumferential direction. Therefore, by simply pushing the outer cover 9 towards the inner plug 10, the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c), which is inserted into the upper opening 2d of the container body 2, is abutted against the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b). Similarly, through the elastic protrusions 22a of the multiple elastic members 22, the state in which the upper surface of the inner plug 10 abuts against the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover 9 can be maintained.

[0141] Furthermore, because the flange portion 10d of the inner plug 10 can push the elastic protrusion 22a inward and flip it over towards the outer periphery while resisting the potential energy imparted by the elastic member 22, a clicking sensation can be obtained, allowing the user to sense that the inner plug 10 has been installed on the outer cover 9. Moreover, the installation operation can be completed simply by pressing the center of the lower inner surface of the outer cover 9 against the upper surface of the inner plug 10, or by pressing the upper surface of the inner plug 10 against the center of the lower inner inner surface of the outer cover 9. Therefore, the operation is simple and requires only one action, providing a good user experience. Furthermore, there is no need to align the installation position of the inner plug 10 relative to the outer cover 9, eliminating the need to worry about orientation, which is very convenient.

[0142] Furthermore, with the multiple engaging protrusions 16a respectively located between adjacent engaging recesses 17a in the circumferential direction, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) fitted onto the inner plug 10 is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the closing direction (clockwise direction in the top view), thereby making the other end of each engaging protrusion 16a abut against the abutting surface 17d of the protruding wall 17e in the circumferential direction.

[0143] Further from this state, the outer cover 9 constituting the cover body 8 is rotated in the closing direction, thereby causing each abutment surface 17d to push circumferentially against the other circumferential end of each engaging protrusion 16a, and causing the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 to rotate integrally. In this way, the cover body 8 can be installed on the container body 2 by the engagement of the male thread 6 and the female thread 12, and the upper opening 2d of the container body 2 can be closed by the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1C).

[0144] On the other hand, when the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1C) is removed from the container body 2, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the opening direction (counterclockwise direction in the top view), thereby making one end of each engaging protrusion 16a engage with each engaging recess 17a in the circumferential direction.

[0145] Further from this state, the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 constituting the cover body 8 are rotated integrally in the opening direction, causing each engaging recess 17a to push one end of each engaging protrusion 16a circumferentially, and the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 are rotated integrally. In this way, the engagement between the male threaded portion 6 and the female threaded portion 12 can be released, and the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1C) can be integrally removed from the container body 2, thereby opening the upper opening 2d of the container body 2.

[0146] Furthermore, in the cap assembly 1C of this embodiment, the elastic protrusions 22a of the plurality of elastic members 22 can maintain the state in which the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) is abutted against the center of the lower surface inside the outer cap 9 (upper wall portion 9b), thereby engaging one end of each engaging protrusion 16a in the circumferential direction with each engaging recess 17a. In this way, when the cap body 8 (cap assembly 1C) is removed from the container body 2, the inner plug 10 can be prevented from falling off the outer cap 9.

[0147] In addition, the following features are the same as those of the cap assemblies 1A and 1B described above: it can handle situations where the engaging recess 17a of the outer cap 9 is unintentionally placed on the engaging protrusion 16a of the inner plug 10, or the cap body 8 (cap assembly 1C) can be removed from the container body 2 even when the container body 2 is under negative pressure; it can improve the design of the cap assembly 1C; the shape of the outer cap 9 is not easily deformed; and the outer cap 9 and the inner plug 10 can be easily removed.

[0148] In addition, the outer peripheral surface of the container body 2 must be provided with a male threaded portion 6, and the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 9a of the outer cover 9 must be provided with a female threaded portion 12. The male threaded portion 6 and the female threaded portion 12 cannot be interchanged. That is, the female threaded portion 12 cannot be provided on the inner side of the upper opening portion 2d of the container body 2, and the male threaded portion 6 cannot be provided on the peripheral wall portion 10b of the inner plug 10. This point is the same as that of the cover assemblies 1A and 1B mentioned above.

[0149] As described above, the cover assembly 1C of this embodiment can simplify the construction of the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10, and can simplify the operation of removing and installing the inner plug 10 from the outer cover 9.

[0150] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the lid assembly 1C, the following example is shown: starting from the state where only the inner plug 10 is inserted into the inner side of the container body 2 through the upper opening 2d, the outer cover 9 (lid body 8) which is later fitted onto the inner plug 10 is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the closing direction, thereby installing the lid body 8 onto the container body 2. Alternatively, the inner plug 10 can be first installed onto the outer cover 9 through the aforementioned disassembly and assembly mechanism 11B and holding mechanism 18C, then the inner plug 10 is inserted into the inner side of the container body 2 through the upper opening 2d, and then the outer cover 9 (lid body 8) is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the closing direction, thereby installing the lid body 8 onto the container body 2.

[0151] Furthermore, this operation is the same as and simpler than the operation of the cover assembly 1B described above. That is, the upper surface of the inner plug 10 is pushed into the center of the lower surface inside the outer cover 9 such that the plurality of engaging protrusions 16a of the inner plug 10 are located between the circumferentially adjacent engaging recesses 17a of the plurality of engaging recesses 17a of the outer cover 9. In this way, the installation operation can be performed simply by pushing the inner plug 10 into the outer cover 9, making the operation simple.

[0152] Furthermore, although the cover assembly 1C of this embodiment is constructed by rotating the inner plug 10 relative to the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 along the engagement side (counterclockwise direction in the lower view) so that one end of each engagement protrusion 16a engages with each engagement recess 17a in the circumferential direction, it can also be configured to rotate the inner plug 10 in the opposite direction (clockwise direction in the lower view) so that the other end of each engagement protrusion 16a engages with each engagement recess 17a in the circumferential direction.

[0153] In this configuration, when the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1C) is removed from the container body 2, the outer cover 9 (cover body 8) is rotated relative to the container body 2 in the opening direction (counterclockwise direction in the top view), thereby making one end of the circumferential direction of the engaging protrusion 16a abut against the abutting surface 17d of the protruding wall 17e that forms the engaging recess 17a.

[0154] From this state, the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 constituting the cover body 8 are rotated together in the opening direction, thereby pushing the contact surface 17d toward one end of the circumferential engagement protrusion 16a, causing the outer cover 9 and the inner plug 10 to rotate together, thereby releasing the engagement between the male threaded portion 6 and the female threaded portion 12.

[0155] At this time, the upper surface of the inner plug 10 (top wall portion 10c) is held against the center of the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover 9 (upper wall portion 9b) by means of the elastic member 22 of the retaining mechanism 18C. Therefore, the cover body 8 (cover assembly 1C) can be detached from the container body 2 as a whole, and the upper opening 2d of the container body 2 can be opened.

[0156] As described above, in the cap assembly 1C of this embodiment, the outer cap 9 and the inner plug 10 are configured to be detachable, which simplifies the construction of detaching and installing the inner plug 10 relative to the outer cap 9, improves the cleanability of the outer cap 9 and the inner plug 10, and makes the inner plug 10 invisible when the cap assembly 1C is installed on the container body 2, thus improving the design.

[0157] Therefore, the lidded container 100C with this lid assembly 1C can further improve ease of use.

[0158] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described disassembly and assembly mechanisms 11A and 11B, although a locking portion 16 (locking protrusion 16a) is provided on the inner plug 10 side and a locked portion 17 (locking recess 17a) is provided on the outer cover 9 side, it is also possible to configure a locked portion (locking recess) on the inner plug 10 side and a locking portion (locking protrusion) on the outer cover 9 side.

[0159] Furthermore, regarding the aforementioned lidded containers 100A to 100C, although they are configured to be detachably and freely installed on the container body 2 by means of screwing, thereby directly opening and closing the upper opening 2d of the container body 2, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, it can be configured to be detachably and freely installed on the shoulder member already installed on the container body 2 by means of screwing.

[0160] Furthermore, the aforementioned retaining mechanisms 18B and 18C are configured to have a flange portion 10d on the inner plug 10 side and a plunger 21 or elastic member 22 (elastic protrusion 22a) on the outer cover 9 side, but they can also be configured to have a plunger 21 or elastic member 22 (elastic protrusion 22a) on the inner plug 10 side and a flange portion 10d on the outer cover 9 side.

[0161] In addition, although the above embodiments illustrate the application of the present invention to beverage containers that provide heat preservation (or cold preservation) functions by means of a container body 2 with a vacuum heat insulation structure, the present invention can be widely applied to containers with lids that have a container body and a lid that can be detachably installed on the container body. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0162] [Fig. 1] is a perspective view of a covered container having a lid assembly according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. [Fig. 2] is a cross-sectional view of the covered container with a lid assembly along line segment AA shown in Fig. 1. [Fig. 3] is a cross-sectional view of the covered container with a lid assembly along line segment BB shown in Fig. 1. [Fig. 4] is a cross-sectional view of the lid assembly shown in Fig. 2. [Fig. 5] is an exploded perspective view of the lid assembly shown in Fig. 4. [Fig. 6(A)] is a perspective view of the outer cover, viewed from below. [Fig. 6(B)] is a lower surface view of the outer cover. [Fig. 7(A)] is a perspective view of the inner plug, viewed from above. [Fig. 7(B)] is a perspective view of the inner plug, viewed from below. [Fig. 8(A)] is a lower surface view showing the engagement portion not yet engaged with the engaged portion. [Fig. 8(B)] is a lower surface view showing the engagement portion engaged with the engaged portion. [Fig. 9(A)] is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the engagement portion not yet engaged with the engaged portion. [Fig. 9(B)] is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the engagement portion engaged with the engaged portion. [Fig. 10] is a cross-sectional view showing the inner plug inserted into the inner side of the upper opening of the container body. [Fig. 11] is a cross-sectional view showing the outer cover fitted with the inner plug inserted into the inner side of the upper opening of the container body as shown in Fig. 10, and the engaged portion placed on the engagement portion. [Fig. 12] is a cross-sectional view showing the upper surface of the inner plug inserted into the inner side of the upper opening of the container body as shown in Fig. 10 abutting the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover, and the inner plug installed on the outer cover. [Fig. 13] is a cross-sectional view of the cover assembly of the second embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 14] is a perspective view of the outer cover of the cover assembly shown in Fig. 13 viewed from the inside. [Fig. 15] is a cross-sectional view of the cover assembly of the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] is a perspective view of the outer cover of the cover assembly shown in Figure 15, viewed from the inside.

Claims

1. A cap assembly detachably mounted on a container body with an open upper portion and a male threaded portion on its outer peripheral surface, the cap assembly comprising a cap body that closes the upper opening of the container body, the cap body having: an outer cap having a female threaded portion on its inner peripheral surface, and being mounted to cover the upper opening of the container body by screwing the male threaded portion into the female threaded portion; an inner plug inserted into the inner side of the container body from the upper opening; and a disassembly mechanism for detachably mounting the inner plug to the lower inner surface of the outer cap, the disassembly mechanism having an engaging portion provided on either the outer cap or the inner plug, and a engaged portion provided on the other, wherein the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion by rotating the inner plug about an axis relative to the lower inner surface of the outer cap, thereby detachably mounting the inner plug to the lower inner surface of the outer cap.

2. The cover assembly of claim 1, wherein the engaging portion includes a plurality of engaging recesses disposed around the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover, and the engaging portion includes a plurality of engaging protrusions disposed on the outer periphery of the inner plug, wherein the inner plug is installed on the outer cover by engaging the engaging protrusions with the engaging recesses.

3. The cover assembly of claim 1, comprising a retaining mechanism for holding the upper surface of the inner plug against the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover.

4. The cover assembly of claim 4, wherein the retaining mechanism has a magnet disposed on either the outer cover or the inner plug, and a magnet or a magnetic material disposed on the other, thereby retaining the upper surface of the inner plug against the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover by magnetic attraction acting between the outer cover and the inner plug.

5. The cover assembly of claim 4, wherein the retaining mechanism comprises: a plurality of plungers disposed around the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover; and a flange portion protruding from the outer periphery of the upper end side of the inner plug in an expanding direction, wherein the upper surface of the inner plug is held against the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover by engaging the flange portion between the lower surface of the inner side of the outer cover and the plurality of plungers.

6. The cover assembly of claim 4, wherein the retaining mechanism has: a plurality of resilient protrusions disposed around the lower inner surface of the outer cover; and a flange protruding from the outer periphery of the upper end side of the inner plug in an expanding direction, wherein the upper surface of the inner plug is held against the lower inner surface of the outer cover by engaging the flange between the lower inner surface of the outer cover and the plurality of resilient protrusions.

7. A lidded container comprising a lid assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, and a container body on which the lid assembly is mounted.

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