Drinking mouth appliance and beverage container

Abstract

A beverage container (100) is provided with: a container body (10) for accommodating a beverage; and a drinking mouth device (30) attached to the container main body (10). The drinking mouth appliance (30) is provided with: a mounting part (31) which is mounted on the container main body (10) of the beverage container (100); and a drinking mouth part (40) which protrudes in a predetermined direction from the mounting part (31), is inserted into the mouth of a user, and is elastically deformable, the drinking mouth part (40) having: an outflow hole (41a) which is opened by the elastic deformation of the drinking mouth part (40) and causes the beverage in the container main body (10) to flow out to the outside; and a pair of protruding parts (43) which are formed so as to protrude from the front surface in which the outflow hole (41a) is formed, are separated from each other so as to sandwich the outflow hole (41a), and extend toward the tip side of the drinking mouth part (40).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a drinking spout and a beverage container. Background Technology

[0002] JP2020-79099A discloses a beverage container with a slit that opens through elastic deformation on a flat portion of the drinking spout. In this beverage container, when a user sucks in the beverage, the flat portion elastically deforms, opening the slit. By tilting the beverage container in this state, the user can drink the beverage through the slit. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In the beverage container disclosed in JP2020-79099A, by having the structure described above, even when the beverage container is tilted, such as during carrying, accidental leakage of beverage from the drinking spout can be prevented. However, in the beverage container disclosed in JP2020-79099A, when drinking, the beverage flowing out through the slit sometimes flows laterally into the mouth and leaks out, making it sometimes difficult for infants and young children to drink the beverage.

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a drinking spout and a beverage container that prevents accidental beverage leakage when not in use and facilitates easy drinking.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a drinking spout device comprises: a mounting portion mounted on a container body of a beverage container; and a drinking spout protruding from the mounting portion in a predetermined direction for insertion into a user's mouth and capable of elastic deformation, the drinking spout having: an outlet hole that opens by the elastic deformation of the drinking spout to allow beverage inside the container body to flow outward; and a pair of protrusions formed protruding from the front of the drinking spout, separated from each other by the outlet hole, and extending toward the front end of the drinking spout.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a beverage container comprises: a container body for containing a beverage; and a drinking spout device mounted on the container body, the drinking spout device comprising: a mounting portion mounted on the container body; and a drinking spout portion protruding from the mounting portion in a predetermined direction for insertion into a user's mouth and capable of elastic deformation, the drinking spout portion having: an outlet hole that opens by the elastic deformation of the drinking spout portion to allow the beverage in the container body to flow outward; and a pair of protrusions formed protruding from the front of the drinking spout portion, separated from each other by the outlet hole, and extending toward the front end of the drinking spout portion. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a beverage container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of a beverage container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of a drinking spout according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 4 It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of line IV-IV. Detailed Implementation

[0011] Hereinafter, the beverage container 100 and drinking spout 30 according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] The beverage container 100 and drinking spout 30 of this embodiment can be used as training beverage containers for infants and young children to drink beverages on their own.

[0013] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the beverage container 100 includes: a container body 10 for containing a beverage; a lid 20 attached to the container body 10; and a drinking spout 30 for drinking the beverage inside the container body 10.

[0014] like Figure 2 As shown, the container body 10 is a bottomed cylindrical container with an opening 10a at the top, which holds a beverage in its internal space. The container body 10 is formed, for example, of plastic (resin). A threaded portion 11 for screwing a lid 20 is formed on the outer periphery of the container body 10 at the opening 10a side, i.e., the upper part.

[0015] like Figure 1 As shown, a handle portion 15 for user gripping is mounted on the container body 10. The handle portion 15 has: an annular ring portion 16 that engages with a stepped portion on the outer periphery of the container body 10; and a pair of arms 17 disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the ring portion 16 at positions opposite each other across the center of the ring portion 16. The handle portion 15 is mounted to the container body 10 by being held by the ring portion 16 and the cap portion 20. The pair of arms 17 are formed in a generally L-shape by bending downwards (towards the bottom surface of the container body 10) from the outer peripheral surface of the ring portion 16.

[0016] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the lid 20 is installed on the container body 10 to close the opening 10a of the container body 10. The lid 20 has: an annular inner lid 21, which is screwed onto the upper threaded portion 11 of the container body 10 and installed on the container body 10; and an outer lid 25, which is rotatably installed on the inner lid 21.

[0017] The inner cover 21 is provided with a flange 22 having a mounting hole 22a for mounting the drinking spout 30 (described later) and a shaft hole 21a for inserting the rotating shaft 23 of the outer cover 25. The flange 22 is formed into an annular shape that protrudes radially inward from the inside of the inner cover 21.

[0018] The outer cover 25 is formed in a dome shape (generally hemispherical) covering the inner cover 21 and the drinking spout 30 mounted on the inner cover 21, and is rotatably mounted on the inner cover 21 via a rotating shaft 23. The outer cover 25 rotates about the rotating shaft 23 to maintain an open state where the drinking spout 30 is exposed. Figure 1 The state shown is the closed state where the drinking spout 40 is covered by the outer cover 25. Figure 2 The states shown are open and closed.

[0019] Furthermore, the cover 20 has a connecting portion 26 that connects the outer cover 25 and the inner cover 21 when in the closed state. The connecting portion 26 includes: a button portion 27, which is rotatably mounted to the inner cover 21 via a pin 28; and a torsion spring (not shown) serving as a force-applying component, which applies force to the button portion 27 in one direction around the pin 28. The button portion 27 has a claw portion 27a that engages with a protrusion 25a provided on the outer cover 25 (see reference). Figure 2 The outer cover 25's protrusion 25a engages with the button 27's claw 27a, restricting the rotation of the outer cover 25 from the closed to the open state by the button 27. When the button 27 is pressed, it overcomes the force of the torsion spring and... Figure 2 When rotated counterclockwise, the engagement between the claw portion 27a of the button portion 27 and the protrusion 25a of the outer cover portion 25 is released, allowing the outer cover portion 25 to rotate from the closed state to the open state. In this way, the connecting portion 26 functions as a one-touch engagement / disengagement mechanism.

[0020] like Figure 2 As shown, the drinking spout 30 is formed into a hollow dome shape with a recess 30a, which divides the interior (inner side) into an internal space 30b. The recess 30a opens at the end face of the container body 10 of the drinking spout 30.

[0021] The drinking spout 30 includes: a mounting portion 31, which is mounted on the cover portion 20; and a hollow drinking spout 40, which protrudes from the mounting portion 31 in a predetermined direction for insertion into the user's mouth and is elastically deformable. The drinking spout 30 is constructed by integrally forming the mounting portion 31 and the drinking spout 40 from a material that can elastically deform under external force (such as silicone rubber).

[0022] The mounting portion 31 has: a generally plate-shaped (flange-shaped) base 32; an annular engaging portion 33, which is separated from the base 32 in the axial direction of the container body 10; and an annular groove 34, which is disposed between the base 32 and the engaging portion 33. The base 32, the engaging portion 33, and the groove 34 are formed with cross-sectional shapes perpendicular to the axis of the container body 10 that are generally similar in shape to the mounting hole 22a of the inner cover portion 21. In the cross-section perpendicular to the axis of the container body 10, the base 32 and the engaging portion 33 are formed to be larger than the mounting hole 22a, and the groove 34 is formed to be slightly smaller than the mounting hole 22a. That is, the base 32 and the engaging portion 33 are formed to be so large that they cannot pass through the mounting hole 22a of the inner cover portion 21 along the axis of the container body 10 in a natural state without external force. The flange 22 of the inner cover 21 is received in the groove 34, and the engaging part 33 and the base 32 engage with the flange 22 of the inner cover 21. In this way, the drinking spout 30 is installed on the inner cover 21. That is, the drinking spout 30 is installed on the container body 10 via the inner cover 21 (cover 20).

[0023] The drinking spout 40 is in a direction perpendicular to the mounting portion 31, in other words, in the axial direction of the container body 10, from the mounting portion 31 toward the opposite side of the container body 10. Figure 2 (The upper part of the middle) protrudes.

[0024] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the drinking spout 40 has a plate-shaped portion 41 formed in a generally semi-circular plate shape, and a side portion 46 connecting the plate-shaped portion 41 and the mounting portion 31.

[0025] like Figure 2 As shown, the plate-shaped portion 41 is formed to extend from the engaging portion 33 of the mounting portion 31 in a predetermined direction inclined relative to the axis of the container body 10. The plate-shaped portion 41 has: a flow hole 42 for allowing beverage inside the container body 10 to flow outward; a pair of protrusions 43 formed protruding from the front of the plate-shaped portion 41; and a recess 45 disposed between the pair of protrusions 43, having a concave surface 45a recessed from the front. Furthermore, the front of each structure of the drinking spout 40 refers to the side exposed to the outside of the container body 10 when the drinking spout 30 is mounted to the container body 10 via the cover portion 20. The back of each structure of the drinking spout 40, described later, refers to the side facing the inside of the container body 10 when the drinking spout 30 is mounted to the container body 10 via the cover portion 20.

[0026] The outlet hole 42 is formed through the plate-shaped portion 41 along its thickness direction to connect the inner space 30b of the drinking spout 40 with the outer side of the drinking spout 40. The outlet hole 42 is formed on the plate-shaped portion 41 as a straight slit extending from the base end side of the drinking spout 40 (plate-shaped portion 41) connected to the mounting portion 31 toward the front end side. The outlet hole 42 is closed in its natural state without external force. Thus, even when the beverage container 100 is tilted when not in use, it is possible to prevent the beverage from accidentally leaking out through the outlet hole 42. Furthermore, the outlet hole 42 is formed as a straight line extending from the base end side of the drinking spout 40 toward the front end side, with the deformation direction being the same, making it easy to open and close. In addition, the shape of the outlet hole 42 is not limited to a straight slit, and can be other shapes such as Y-shaped or cross-shaped. Furthermore, the outlet hole 42 is not limited to a single hole, and can be composed of multiple holes.

[0027] A pair of protrusions 43 are ribs that project from the front of the plate-shaped portion 41 in a direction perpendicular to the plate-shaped portion 41. The pair of protrusions 43 are formed parallel to the straight slits, i.e., the outflow holes 42, and are similarly shaped to the outflow holes 42, extending in a straight line towards the front end of the drinking spout 40. The pair of protrusions 43 are parallel to each other and separated from each other by the outflow holes 42. Furthermore, the protrusion heights of the pair of protrusions 43 from the front of the plate-shaped portion 41 are the same, and except for a portion on the front end side, they are formed with a uniform protrusion height along the extending direction.

[0028] "Extending toward the front end of the drinking spout 40" means extending toward the mounting part 31 or the opposite side of the container body 10 in the direction in which the drinking spout 40 protrudes, i.e., in the axial direction of the container body 10. It means anything other than extending parallel to the perpendicular line relative to the axis of the container body 10.

[0029] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the recess 45 has an arc-shaped concave surface 45a that extends parallel to a pair of protrusions 43 and is recessed from the front of the plate-shaped portion 41. From another viewpoint, the recess 45 is formed by a groove recess with a generally semi-elliptical cross-section extending toward the front end of the drinking spout 40.

[0030] like Figure 4 As shown, the back side (the side of the internal space 30b) of the recessed portion 45 is formed as a raised surface 45b that is an arc-shaped (curved) surface corresponding to the shape of the concave surface 45a on the front side. In this way, the front side is formed by the concave surface 45a and the back side is formed by the raised surface 45b, thereby constituting a configuration in which the thickness of the recessed portion 45 does not become thinner even if the front side is recessed.

[0031] The concave surface 45a of the recessed portion 45 is configured to extend from the base end side of the plate-shaped portion 41 connected to the mounting portion 31 toward the front end side, and open at the boundary with the side portion 46 (see reference). Figure 2 and Figure 3 That is, the end of the concave surface 45a of the recess 45 is not closed, but opens on the surface of the drinking spout 40 and opens to the outside. As a result, the beverage flowing out of the outlet hole 42 does not accumulate in the recess 45, but is guided into the mouth from the opening of the recess 45.

[0032] The outflow hole 42 is formed in the recess 45 such that it penetrates the recess 45 along the thickness direction, and opens on the concave surface 45a and the raised surface 45b of the recess 45. Specifically, as Figure 4 As shown, the outflow holes 42 are formed in the recessed portion 45 at the top openings of the concave surface 45a and the raised surface 45b, respectively.

[0033] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown, a guide portion 47 is provided on the plate-shaped portion 41, which serves as a position reference for the user to hold the drinking mouth portion 40 in their mouth. The guide portion 47 is a stepped portion formed between the front end side portion and the base end side portion of the plate-shaped portion 41, and when the plate-shaped portion 41 is viewed from the vertical direction, it is formed into a gently convex arc shape that protrudes towards the base end side.

[0034] The side portion 46 is formed as a cylindrical surface centered on the axis of the container body 10.

[0035] Next, the function of the beverage container 100 will be explained.

[0036] As described above, the outlet hole 42 is closed in its natural state without external force, thus preventing accidental leakage of beverage through the outlet hole 42 even when the beverage container 100 is tilted during non-drinking periods. To drink from the beverage container 100, the user first takes the drinking spout 40 of the drinking spout 30 into their mouth and tilts the beverage container 100. Normally, the drinking spout 40 is inserted into the user's mouth from the front side, with the plate-like portion 41 as the upper side and the side portion 46 as the lower side (tongue side). In this state, the drinking spout 40 is elastically deformed by the lips or the inner wall of the mouth, such as the palate (hereinafter referred to as "oral cavity M"), thereby opening the outlet hole 42 of the drinking spout 40, allowing the beverage inside the container body 10 to flow out through the outlet hole 42. Thus, the beverage is directed into the user's mouth, allowing the user to drink. Furthermore, the drinking spout 40 is formed as a hollow dome with a recess 30a, and the plate-like portion 41 is formed relatively thin. Therefore, even infants and young children can easily deform the plate-like portion 41, thereby making it easy to open the outlet hole 42. In addition, the oral cavity M includes at least teeth, gums, lips, and palate.

[0037] At this time, when the user holds the drinking mouthpiece in their mouth at 40 degrees, the oral cavity M (specifically, the upper lips, palate, etc., refer to...) Figure 4 The double-dotted line in the image contacts the protrusion 43 of the drinking spout 40, so the outflow hole 42 does not contact or adhere to the oral cavity M in the mouth, forming a space (gap) 40a separated by the protrusion 43 between the oral cavity M in the mouth and the outflow hole 42. Thus, the beverage flowing from the outflow hole 42 is restricted laterally in the mouth by the protrusion 43, which contacts the oral cavity M in the mouth (see reference). Figure 4 The beverage flows out, and the space 40a between the oral cavity M and the outflow hole 42 becomes a flow path, guiding the beverage deep into the mouth. Therefore, according to the beverage container 100, it is possible to prevent the beverage from leaking out from the side of the mouth and drink easily.

[0038] Furthermore, the outlet hole 42 is formed in a recess 45 provided between a pair of protrusions 43, thus the contact between the outlet hole 42 and the oral cavity M in the mouth is further suppressed by the concave surface 45a of the recess 45. In other words, the space 40a between the oral cavity M in the mouth and the outlet hole 42 is formed larger by the concave surface 45a of the recess 45. As a result, the beverage flowing out of the outlet hole 42 is more easily guided into the depth of the mouth by the space 40a, further suppressing the leakage of beverage from the side of the mouth, and further improving the ease of drinking from the beverage container 100.

[0039] Furthermore, the surface side of the recessed portion 45 is formed as a concave surface 45a that is recessed from the front, and the back side is formed as a raised surface 45b that is raised from the back. The outlet hole 42 is formed to penetrate the recessed portion 45 at the top. Thus, the recessed portion 45 and the outlet hole 42 constitute a check valve structure (duckbill valve structure) that restricts the flow of beverage from the inside of the container body 10 to the outside. By constructing a check valve structure, it is possible to prevent the outlet hole 42 from accidentally opening due to changes in internal pressure within the container body 10, and to prevent the beverage inside the container body 10 from flowing out through the outlet hole 42.

[0040] The effects of this embodiment will be explained below.

[0041] The beverage container 100 of this embodiment includes: a container body 10 that contains a beverage; and a drinking spout 30 that is mounted on the container body 10. The drinking spout 30 includes: a mounting portion 31 that is mounted on the container body 10 of the beverage container 100; and a drinking spout 40 that protrudes from the mounting portion 31 in a predetermined direction for insertion into a user's mouth and is elastically deformable. The drinking spout 40 has: an outlet hole 42 that opens by the elastic deformation of the drinking spout 40 to allow the beverage inside the container body 10 to flow outward; and a pair of protrusions 43 that are formed protruding from the front side where the outlet hole 42 is formed, separated from each other by the outlet hole 42, and extending toward the front end of the drinking spout 40.

[0042] According to this embodiment, by inserting the drinking spout 40, which protrudes from the mounting portion 31 in a predetermined direction, into the mouth and deforming the drinking spout 40, the outlet hole 42 can be opened and the beverage can be drunk through the outlet hole 42. At this time, the oral cavity portion M in the mouth contacts the protrusion 43 of the drinking spout 40, forming a space 40a between the oral cavity portion M in the mouth and the outlet hole 42. The beverage flowing out of the outlet hole 42 is restricted from flowing laterally out of the mouth by the protrusion 43 in contact with the oral cavity portion M in the mouth, and is guided to the depth of the mouth through the space 40a between the oral cavity portion M and the outlet hole 42. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the leakage of beverage from the side of the mouth and drink easily.

[0043] Furthermore, in the drinking spout 30, the drinking spout 40 has a recess 45 disposed between a pair of protrusions 43 and recessed from the outer side, and an outlet hole 42 is formed in the recess 45.

[0044] According to this structure, the recess 45 ensures a larger space 40a between the inner wall of the mouth and the outlet hole 42, thus the beverage flowing from the outlet hole 42 is more reliably guided into the depth of the mouth, further suppressing leakage of beverage from the side of the mouth. Therefore, the ease of drinking from the beverage container is further improved.

[0045] Furthermore, in the drinking spout 30, the back of the recess 45 is raised.

[0046] According to this structure, the recess 45 and the outlet hole 42 constitute a check valve structure. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the outlet hole 42 from opening accidentally due to changes in the internal pressure inside the container body 10, and to prevent the beverage inside the container body 10 from flowing out of the outlet hole 42.

[0047] Next, variations of this embodiment will be described. The following variations are also within the scope of this invention. Furthermore, the structures shown in the variations can be combined with the structures described in the above embodiments, or the structures described in the following different variations can be combined with each other.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the pair of protrusions 43 are parallel to each other, but they may not be parallel.

[0049] Furthermore, the protrusion 43 is a rib that protrudes from the front of the plate-like portion 41, and the back of the protrusion 43 is formed in the same way as the surrounding portion. In contrast, the back of the protrusion 43 may also be formed by a concave surface that is recessed from the surrounding portion.

[0050] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the drinking spout 40 of the drinking spout 30 is formed as a hollow dome shape with a recess 30a and an internal space 30b. In contrast, the shape of the drinking spout 40 is not limited to the above embodiment. The drinking spout 40 can have any shape as long as it is configured to deform when held in the mouth by a user to open the outlet hole 42, and the beverage inside the container body 10 flows out through the outlet hole 42. For example, the drinking spout 40 can also be a solid shape without the recess 30a (internal space 30b).

[0051] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the back side of the recess 45 is formed with a raised shape. In contrast, if the thickness of the recess 45 can be ensured, the back side can also be formed as a flat surface (planar surface) that is not raised.

[0052] Furthermore, while the above embodiments use infants and young children as an example of users, the users are not limited to infants and young children. For example, it is also useful for people who cannot tilt the container flexibly (such as the elderly) when drinking beverages from a beverage container.

[0053] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the above embodiments only show a part of the application examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

Claims

1. A drinking spout for a beverage container, comprising: The mounting part is installed on the container body of the beverage container; and The drinking spout protrudes from the mounting portion in a predetermined direction for insertion into the user's mouth and is elastically deformable. The drinking spout has: The outflow hole opens through the elastic deformation of the drinking spout, allowing the beverage inside the container body to flow outwards; and A pair of protrusions are formed protruding from the front of the drinking spout, separated from each other across the outlet hole, and extend toward the front end of the drinking spout.

2. The drinking spout according to claim 1, wherein, The drinking spout has a recessed portion located between the pair of protrusions and recessed from the front. The outflow hole is formed in the recess.

3. The drinking spout according to claim 2, wherein, The recessed portion is formed with a raised back side.

4. A beverage container, comprising: The main body of the container, which holds the beverage; and A drinking spout, which is installed on the container body. The drinking spout has the following features: The mounting part is installed on the container body; and The drinking spout protrudes from the mounting portion in a predetermined direction for insertion into the user's mouth and is elastically deformable. The drinking spout has: The outflow hole opens through the elastic deformation of the drinking spout, allowing the beverage inside the container body to flow outwards; and A pair of protrusions are formed protruding from the front of the drinking spout, separated from each other across the outlet hole, and extend toward the front end of the drinking spout.

Images