Cap unit and capped container

Abstract

To provide a cap unit that can be properly attached to a nozzle part provided on a cap main body by screwing while rotating the nozzle cap. When the nozzle cap 9 is fitted inside the ring part 11a provided at a tip end side of a rotating member 11, the nozzle cap 9 is attached so as to be freely rotatable and pivotable around the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a, and the angular range in which the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 can be tilted relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a is larger in the front-back direction than in the left-right direction of the ring part 11a.

Description

TECHINICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap unit and a capped container.BACKGROUND

[0002] Conventionally, there have been capped containers with a cap unit that is attached to a container main body open on an upper part. Furthermore, some cap units include a cap main body that closes the upper opening part of the container main body and has a nozzle part communicating with the inside of the container main body, a nozzle cap that opens and closes the tip end side of the nozzle part, and a rotating member that is rotatably attached to the cap main body via a hinge part, with the nozzle cap fitted inside a ring part provided on the tip end side of the rotating member, and the nozzle cap attached to the ring part so as to rotate about the axis (see, for example, JP7387212B1).

[0003] Specifically, JP7387212B1 discloses a beverage container having a container main body with an opening part and a lid part that covers the opening part, wherein the lid part has a lid main body, a cylindrical drinking opening part that has a through hole on the inside and protrudes from the lid main body, a cylindrical drinking opening cover part that can be attached to the opening side of the drinking opening part, and a platelike connecting member that extends in a first direction so as to connect the lid main body and the drinking opening cover part and has rigidity such that the amount of elastic deformation in the thickness direction is equal to or less than the thickness dimension; the drinking opening part has a drinking opening side screw threaded part on the outer peripheral surface; the drinking opening cover part has a cover side screw threaded part on the inner peripheral surface that can be screwed onto the drinking opening side screw threaded part; and the connecting member has a connecting part provided on a first end part in the first direction that rotatably connects the connecting member to the lid main body so as to rotate around a rotation axis that extends in a width direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the connecting member and the first direction, and an annular holding part that is provided at a second end part in the first direction so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the drinking opening cover part and holds the drinking opening cover part in a manner that can rotate around an axis, such that an annular radial gap that includes a radial gap in one direction that allows the drinking opening cover part to move in the first direction which is the longitudinal direction of the connecting member, relative to the holding part, between the inner peripheral surface of the holding part and the outer peripheral surface of the drinking opening cover part; and the radial gap in the first direction is larger than the radial gap in the width direction included in the annular radial gap.

[0004] In the invention described in JP7387212B1, when the connecting member is rotated around the rotation axis of the connecting part and the drinking opening cover part is attached to the opening side of the drinking opening part, the cover side screw threaded part can be easily moved to a position that does not interfere with the drinking opening part. Thereby, the drinking opening cover can easily be attached to the drinking opening part in a beverage container that has a screw threaded part on the outer peripheral surface of the drinking opening part and is configured so that the connecting member does not easily deform.

[0005] Incidentally, with the invention described in JP7387212B1, when the drinking opening cover part is attached to the drinking opening part, the opening cover part traces an arcuate path and approaches the protruding drinking opening part from diagonally above. In this case, the tip end of the drinking opening part and the screw threads of the female threaded part of the drinking opening cover part may mutually interfere, thus possibly preventing the female threaded part of the drinking opening cover part from being screwed to the male threaded part of the drinking opening part.

[0006] The invention described in JP7387212B1 addresses this problem by providing an annular radial gap between the inner peripheral surface of the holding part and the outer peripheral surface of the drinking opening cover part, making the gap in the longitudinal direction (first direction) of the connecting member larger than the gap in the width direction, thereby preventing interference between the tip end of the drinking opening part and the screw threads of the female threaded part of the drinking opening cover part, and facilitating attaching the drinking opening cover part to the drinking opening part.

[0007] However, with the invention described in JP7387212B1, the gap in the longitudinal direction (first direction) of the aforementioned connecting member is made larger than the gap in the width direction, so the outer shape of the drinking opening cover part is a perfect circle while the inner shape of the holding part is an ellipse. Therefore, in order to rotatably hold the drinking opening cover part inside the holding part, the radial gap must be adjusted as described above, and there is concern that control during manufacturing will be more difficult, such as controlling the plate thickness of the holding part and controlling the radial dimensions of the circular shape, which is easily distorted during molding.

[0008] Furthermore, with the invention described in JP7387212B1, when attaching the drinking opening cover part to the drinking opening part, the drinking opening part is configured to be closer to the front and the hinge part closer to the rear in order to prevent interference between the male threaded part provided on the outer peripheral surface of the drinking opening part at the rear side (hinge part side) of the longitudinal direction (first direction) and the drinking opening cover part, thereby encumbering making the cap unit compact in shape.

[0009] The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the aforementioned conventional circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a cap unit having a configuration in which a ring part is provided at the tip end side of a rotating member that is rotatably attached to a cap main body via a hinge part, and a nozzle cap is rotatably attached inside the ring part, which allows the nozzle cap to be properly attached to the nozzle part provided on the cap main body by screwing while rotating, thereby facilitating control during manufacturing and achieving a compact shape, as well as a capped container that is equipped with such a cap unit, thereby enabling further improvement in usability.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following means. [1] A cap unit attached to a container main body having an open upper part, the cap unit comprising: a cap main body that closes an upper opening part of the container main body and is provided with a nozzle part that is connected to the inside of the container main body; a nozzle cap that is detachably attached to the nozzle part by screwing, thereby opening and closing a nozzle opening provided on a tip end side of the nozzle part; and a rotating member that is rotatably attached to the cap main body via a hinge part, wherein when the nozzle cap fitted inside a ring part provided on the tip end side of the rotating member, the nozzle cap is attached so as to be rotatable and pivotable about a center axis of the ring part; and the range of angles by which the center axis of the nozzle cap can be tilted relative to the center axis of the ring part is larger in the front-back direction than in the left-right direction of the ring part. [2] The cap unit according to [1], wherein an engaging part is provided circumferentially on the inner peripheral part of the ring part; an engaged part that engages with an engaging part is provided circumferentially on the outer peripheral part of the nozzle cap; an axial gap is provided between the engaging part and the engaged part that are mutually engaged, allowing the nozzle cap to move relative to the ring part; and the gap is larger on the front-back direction side than on the left-right side of the ring part. [3] The cap unit according to [2], wherein the lower surface or upper surface of the engaging part facing the engaged part is inclined so that the gap gradually increases from the left-right side position of the ring part toward the front-back direction side position. [4] The cap unit according to [1], wherein a female threaded part is provided on the inner peripheral part of the nozzle cap; a male threaded part that screws into the female threaded part is provided on the outer peripheral part of the nozzle part; and the thread starting position of the male threaded part into the female threaded part is located at a position excluding the outer peripheral part facing the nozzle part in the front-back direction. [5] The cap unit according to [4], wherein in the rotation direction of the nozzle cap centered on the center axis of the nozzle part, the angle formed between a reference line in the front-back direction that passes through the center axis of the nozzle part and a line connecting the center axis of the nozzle part with a thread starting position at a position on a rear side of the male threaded part is larger than the angle formed between reference line and a line connecting the center axis of the nozzle part with a thread starting position at a position on a front side of the male threaded part. [6] The cap unit according to [1], further comprising: an outer lid that is detachably attached to the cap main body while covering the nozzle cap attached to the nozzle part, the rotating member, and the hinge part. [7] A capped container, including: the cap unit according to any one of [1] to [6], and a container main body to which the cap unit is attached. EFFECT OF THE INVENTION

[0011] As described above, the present invention provides a cap unit having a configuration in which a ring part is provided at the tip end side of a rotating member that is rotatably attached to a cap main body via a hinge part, and a nozzle cap is rotatably attached inside the ring part, which allows the nozzle cap to be properly attached to the nozzle part provided on the cap main body by screwing while rotating, thereby facilitating control during manufacturing and achieving a compact shape, as well as a capped container that is equipped with such a cap unit, thereby enabling further improvement in usability.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view depicting a configuration of a capped container provided with a cap unit according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view depicting a state in which a nozzle cap is in a closed position relative to a nozzle part of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view depicting a state in which a nozzle cap is in a open position relative to a nozzle part of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 depicts a state in which the nozzle cap is attached to the nozzle part of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1 by screwing, in which FIG. 4(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the front-back direction, and FIG. 4(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the enclosed portion X; FIG. 5 depicts a state in which the nozzle cap is attached to the nozzle part of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1 by screwing, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the left-right direction, and (B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the enclosed portion Y; FIG. 6 depicts the rotating member of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1, where (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the front-back direction, and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the left-right direction; FIG. 7 depicts the nozzle cap of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1, where (A) is a perspective view, and (B) is a side view; FIG. 8 depicts a state in which a nozzle cap is placed over the nozzle part of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1, with the center axis of the nozzle cap inclined more in the front-back direction relative to the center axis of the ring part, where (A) is a side view along the front-back direction, and (B) is a cross-sectional view along the front-back direction; FIG. 9 is a side view of the rotating member and nozzle cap of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1, taken along the left-right direction, depicting a state in which the center axis of the nozzle cap is more inclined in the left-right direction relative to the center axis of the ring part; FIG. 10 is a top view of a cap main body of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1; FIG. 11 is a side view depicting a state similar to that of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 2, with the outer lid removed; FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view depicting the outer lid of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1; FIG. 13 depicts a state in which the nozzle cap is sufficiently screwed onto the nozzle part of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1 and the outer lid is attached to the cap main body, where (A) is a cross-sectional view along the front-back direction, and (B) is a cross-sectional view along the left-right direction; FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view depicting a state after the outer lid has been attached to a cap main body, in a state in which the nozzle cap has not been sufficiently tightened by screwing onto the nozzle part of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1; and FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view depicting a state in which the nozzle cap is not completely attached to the nozzle part of the cap unit depicted in FIG. 1 and the outer lid cannot be attached to the cap main body. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The following is a detailed description of the embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. One embodiment of the present invention is described as a capped container 100 including a cap unit 1 depicted in, for example, FIG. 1 to FIG. 15.

[0014] Note that FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view depicting the configuration of the capped container 100 provided with the cap unit 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view depicting a state in which a nozzle cap 9 is in a closed position relative to a nozzle part 7 of the cap unit 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view depicting a state in which a nozzle cap 9 is in an open position relative to a nozzle part 7 of the cap unit 1. FIG. 4 depicts a state in which the nozzle cap 9 is attached to the nozzle part 7 of the cap unit 1 by screwing, in which FIG. 4(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the front-back direction, and FIG. 4(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the enclosed portion X. FIG. 5 depicts a state in which the nozzle cap 9 is attached to the nozzle part 7 of the cap unit 1 by screwing, in which FIG. 4(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the left-right direction, and FIG. 4(B) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the enclosed portion Y. FIG. 6 depicts the rotating member 11 of the cap unit 1, where (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the front-back direction, and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the left-right direction. FIG. 7 depicts the nozzle cap 9 of the cap unit 1, where (A) is a perspective view, and (B) is a side view. FIG. 8 depicts a state in which a nozzle cap 9 is placed over the nozzle part 7 of the cap unit 1, with the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 inclined more in the front-back direction relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a, where (A) is a side view along the front-back direction, and (B) is a cross-sectional view along the front-back direction. FIG. 9 is a side view of the rotating member 11 and nozzle cap 9 of the cap unit 1, taken along the left-right direction, depicting a state in which the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 is more inclined in the left-right direction relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a. FIG. 10 is a top view of a cap main body 8 of the cap unit 1. FIG. 11 is a side view depicting a state similar to that of the cap unit 1 depicted in FIG. 2, with the outer lid 12 removed. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view depicting the outer lid 12 of the cap unit 1. FIG. 13 depicts a state in which the nozzle cap 9 is sufficiently screwed onto the nozzle part 7 of the cap unit 1 and the outer lid 12 is attached to the cap main body 8, where (A) is a cross-sectional view along the front-back direction, and (B) is a cross-sectional view along the left-right direction. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view depicting a state after the outer lid 12 has been attached to a cap main body 8, in a state in which the nozzle cap 9 has not been sufficiently tightened by screwing onto the nozzle part 7 of the cap unit 1. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view depicting a state in which the nozzle cap 9 is not completely attached to the nozzle part 7 of the cap unit 1 and the outer lid 12 cannot be attached to the cap main body 8.

[0015] As depicted in FIG. 1, the capped container 100 of the present embodiment has a cap unit 1 of the present embodiment and a container main body 2 to which the cap unit 1 is detachably attached.

[0016] The capped container 100 is a beverage container that can keep beverages (liquids) contained in the container main body 2 cool or warm by means of the container main body 2 having a vacuum insulation structure.

[0017] Specifically, the container main body 2 is configured as a double structure containing having a cylindrical outer container with an outer container 3 and an inner container 4 made of, for example, stainless steel that are mutually joined at the periphery of the opening part in a state where the inner container 4 is stored inside the outer container 3.

[0018] A vacuum insulating layer 5 is provided between the outer container 3 and the inner container 4. The vacuum insulating layer 5 can be formed, for example, by plugging the degassing hole on the bottom surface of the outer container 3 in a chamber that has been depressurized (evacuated) to a high vacuum.

[0019] The container main body 2 has a substantially circular bottom part 2a, a substantially barrel part 2b rising from the outer circumference of the bottom 2a, and a substantially cylindrical opening neck part 2c that is reduced in diameter at the upper part side of the barrel part 2b.

[0020] An upper end part of the opening neck part 2c is opened in a circular shape as an upper opening part 2d of the container main body 2. Furthermore, the inner peripheral surface at the opening neck part 2c (upper part side of the barrel part 2b) of the container main body 2 is smaller in diameter than the inner peripheral surface of the barrel part 2b. Furthermore, the inner peripheral surface of the opening neck part 2c is provided with a ring-shaped protruding part 6 is provided around the entire circumference of the container main body 2 so as to protrude inward.

[0021] Although the capped container 100 of the present embodiment has a substantially cylindrical external shape as a whole, the external shape of the capped container 100 is not limited to any particular shape, and can be modified according to size and design. Furthermore, the outer peripheral surface of the container main body 2 may be painted or printed.

[0022] As depicted in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment contains a cap main body 8 that closes the upper opening part 2d of the container main body 2 described above and is provided with a nozzle part 7 that communicates with the inside of the container main body 2; a nozzle cap 9 that is removably attached to the nozzle part 7 by screwing, thereby opening and closing the liquid passage opening 7a provided on the tip end side of the nozzle part 7; a rotating member 11 that is rotatably attached to the cap main body 8 via a hinge part 10 and has a nozzle cap 9 attached to the inside of the ring part 11a provided on the tip end side thereof so that the nozzle cap 9 is attached so as to be rotatable around the axis of the ring part 11a; and an outer lid 12 that is removably attached to the cap main body 8 by screwing, so as to cover the nozzle cap 9 attached to the nozzle part 7, the rotating member 11, and the hinge part 10.

[0023] Note that in the following description, the "vertical direction" of the upright cap unit 1 (capped container 100) may be referred to as the "center axis direction" or "axial direction". Furthermore, in the radial direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the "vertical direction (axial direction)", the side on which the hinge part 10 is located will be referred to as the "rear side" of the cap unit 1 (capped container 100), and conversely, the side on which the nozzle part 7 is located relative to the hinge part 10 will be referred to as the "front side" of the cap unit 1 (capped container 100), the direction connecting these will be referred to as the "front-back direction" of the cap unit 1 (capped container 100), and the direction perpendicular to the front-back direction will be referred to as the "left-right direction" of the cap unit 1 (capped container 100). Furthermore, the front side and the rear side positions in the front-back direction will be collectively referred to as the "front-back direction side", and the right side and left side positions in the left-right direction will be collectively referred to as the "left-right direction side".

[0024] The cap main body 8 is made of, for example, a heat-resistant resin, and is formed in an approximately cylindrical shape so as to be contiguous with the barrel part 2b of the container main body 2, and includes a circumferential wall part 8a that covers the entire outer peripheral side, an upper wall part 8b that covers the upper part of the circumferential wall part 8a, and an inner wall part 8c that protrudes in an approximately cylindrical shape from the lower surface of the upper wall part 8b so as to be fitted to the inside of the container main body 2 from the upper opening part 2d.

[0025] The cap main body 8 is detachably attached by screwing to the opening neck part 2c of the container main body 2. Therefore, a first male threaded part 13 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the opening neck part 2c (upper part side of barrel part 2b). On the other hand, a first female threaded part 14 that screws into the first male threaded part 13 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the circumferential wall part 8a of the cap main body 8.

[0026] The nozzle part 7 is located in front of the hinge part 10 of the upper wall part 8b, and is provided so as to protrude upward in a substantially cylindrical shape while penetrating the upper wall part 8b in the vertical direction. Furthermore, a liquid passage opening 7a, which serves as a drinking opening or pour spout, is provided at the tip end (upper end) side of the nozzle part 7 with a circular opening.

[0027] In other words, when the cap main body 8 is attached to the opening neck part 2c of the container main body 2, the upper opening part 2d of the container main body 2 is closed and is connected to the inside and the outside of the container main body 2 via the nozzle part 7 (liquid passage opening 7a).

[0028] Watertight packing 15 is detachably attached to the inner lower surface of the cap main body 8. The watertight packing 15 is a sealing member for sealing (watertight sealing) the gap between the container main body 2 and the cap main body 8, and is made of an elastic member such as heat-resistant rubber, elastomer, or the like, for example, silicone rubber and the like.

[0029] The watertight packing 15 has a stepped shape along the lower surface of the upper wall part 8b, the outer peripheral surface and lower end surface of the inner wall part 8c, and is formed into a cylindrical ring shape as a whole. The watertight packing 15 is fitted onto the inner lower surface of the cap main body 8 so as to covering the inner lower surface from below while maintaining contact with the lower surface of the upper wall part 8b and the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall part 8c and being slightly spaced apart from the lower end surface of the inner wall part 8c.

[0030] On the other hand, the watertight packing 15 can be removed from the inner lower surface of the cap main body 8 by elastically deforming (stretching) the packing. This allows the watertight packing 15 and the cap main body 8 to be cleaned separately, and the watertight packing 15 and the cap main body 8 can be kept sanitary.

[0031] Furthermore, an elastic flange part 15a that protrudes over the entire circumference in the radial expansion direction is provided on the upper end part of the watertight packing 15. When the cap main body 8 is attached to the container main body 2, the elastic flange part 15a of the watertight packing 15 elastically deforms, and the upper surface side comes into close contact with the lower surface of the upper wall part 8b, and the lower surface side comes into close contact with the upper opening part 2d around the entire circumference. Therefore, a liquid tight seal (watertight seal) can be provided between the cap main body 8 and the container main body 2.

[0032] The nozzle cap 9 is made of, for example, a heat-resistant resin, and has a circumferential wall part 9a formed in an approximately cylindrical shape, a top wall part 9b covering the upper part of the circumferential wall part 9a, a flange part 9f extending outward from the outer peripheral surface around the middle part of the circumferential wall part 9a around the entire circumference, and a plurality of protruding parts 9g protruding outward intermittently around the entire circumference from the outer peripheral surface of the lower end side of the circumferential wall part 9a.

[0033] The rotating member 11 is made of, for example, a heat-resistant resin, and the base end side thereof is rotatably attached to the cap main body 8 via a hinge part 10, and the tip end side has a ring part 11a that opens in a substantially circular shape.

[0034] As depicted in FIG. 4(A), (B) and FIG. 5(A), (B), the nozzle cap 9 is fitted inside the ring part 11a of the rotating member 11, and is attached so as to be rotatable around the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a, and is also attached so as to be pivotable around the entire circumference of the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a.

[0035] It should be noted that the term "pivoting" here refers to any of the following, namely movement of the nozzle cap 9 in the vertical direction, movement in the radial direction, and tilting the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a, or a combination of these movements, while the nozzle cap 9 remains fitted inside the ring part 11a.

[0036] Specifically, an engagement protruding part 16, which is the engaging part, is provided on the inner peripheral part of the ring part 11a. On the other hand, an engagement recessed part 17, that is the engaged part that engages with the engagement protruding part 16 is provided on the outer peripheral part of the nozzle cap 9.

[0037] As depicted in FIG. 6(A) and (B), the engagement protruding part 16 is configured to protrude inward from the inner peripheral surface along the entire circumference at the upper end side of the ring part 11a. On the other hand, as depicted in FIG. 7 (A) and (B), the engagement recessed part 17 is formed between the flange part 9f of the nozzle cap 9 and the plurality of protruding parts 9g, and is recessed inward along the entire circumference.

[0038] Furthermore, as depicted in FIG. 4 (A), (B) and FIG. 5(A), (B), a vertical gap (play) Sh that allows the nozzle cap 9 to tilt relative to the center axis of the ring part 11a and move in the direction of the center axis thereof is provided between the engagement protruding part 16 and the engagement recessed part 17 that are mutually engaged.

[0039] Furthermore, the vertical gap Sh is larger on the front-back direction side of the ring part 11a than on the left-right side. Furthermore, the lower or upper surface (lower surface 16a in the present embodiment) of the engagement protruding part 16 facing the engagement recessed part 17 is inclined so that the gap Sh gradually increases from the left-right side position of the ring part 11a toward the front-back direction side position.

[0040] Specifically, the vertical gap Sh is the difference in length (H2-H1) between the vertical width H1 of the engagement protruding part 16 and the vertical width H2 of the engagement recessed part 17, as depicted in FIG. 4 (B) and FIG. 5(B).

[0041] The vertical width H2 of the engagement recessed part 17 is the length from the lower end of the flange part 9f of the nozzle cap 9 to the upper end of the plurality of protruding parts 9g. The lower surface of the flange part 9f protrudes outward horizontally, and the plurality of protruding parts 9g are also arranged horizontally, so the vertical width H2 of the engagement recessed part 17 is constant around the entire circumference of the nozzle cap 9.

[0042] On the other hand, as depicted in FIG. 6 (B) and (C), the vertical width H1 of the engagement protruding part 16 is smaller on the front-back direction side than on the left-right direction side of the ring part 11a. In other words, the lower surface 16a of the engagement protruding part 16 is inclined circumferentially so that the vertical width H1 of the engagement protruding part 16 gradually increases from the front-back direction side position of the ring part 11a toward the left-right side position.

[0043] As a result, the vertical width H1a of the engagement protruding part 16 at a position on the front-back direction side of the ring part 11a is smaller than the vertical width H1b of the engagement protruding part 16 at a position on the left-right side of the ring part 11a (H1a < H1b).

[0044] Therefore, the vertical gap Sh1 (H2-H1a) at the front-back direction rear position of the ring part 11a is larger than the vertical gap Sh2 (H2-H1b) at the left-right position of the ring part 11a (Sh1>Sh2).

[0045] In the present embodiment, the lower surface 16a of the engagement protruding part 16 is configured to be inclined circumferentially, but by configuring the upper surface of the engagement protruding part 16 to be inclined circumferentially, the gap Sh can be made larger on the front-back direction side than on the left-right direction side of the ring part 11a.

[0046] Note that the radial gap (play) between the engagement protruding part 16 and the engagement recessed part 17 is constant around the entire circumference when the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a and the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 are aligned.

[0047] In other words, the radial gap (play) Sd at the position on the front-back direction side of the ring part 11a depicted enlarged in FIG. 4 (B) and the radial gap (play) Sw at the position on the left-right side of the ring part 11a depicted enlarged in FIG. 5 (B) have the same dimension (Sd = Sw) when the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a and the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 are aligned.

[0048] Therefore, the inner diameter of the engagement protruding part 16 of the ring part 11a is larger than the outer diameter of the engagement recessed part 17 of the nozzle cap 9, which are formed as perfect circles with a constant diameter.

[0049] In the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, when the engagement protruding part 16 is engaged with the engagement recessed part 17, the nozzle cap 9 is attached so as to be freely rotatable around the axis of the ring part 11a, and the nozzle cap 9 is attached so as to be able to tilt relative to the ring part 11a by an amount corresponding to the vertical gap Sh (Sh1, Sh2), and to be able to move in the direction of the center axis (vertical direction). Furthermore, the nozzle cap 9 is attached to the ring part 11a so as to be movable in the radial direction by an amount corresponding to the radial gaps Sd and Sw.

[0050] As a result, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the nozzle cap 9 is attached so as to be freely rotatable around the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a, and the nozzle cap 9 is attached so as to be freely pivotable around the entire circumference of the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a.

[0051] In other words, with the nozzle cap 9 fitted inside the ring part 11a, the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 can be tilted relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a.

[0052] Furthermore, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 can be tilted more in the front-back direction relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a than in the left-right direction. In other words, the angle range θ1 within which the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 can be tilted in the front-back direction relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a depicted in FIG. 8(A) and (B) is larger than the angle range θ2 within which the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 can be tilted in the left-right direction relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a depicted in FIG. 9.

[0053] Incidentally, the angle range θ1, θ2 by which the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 can be tilted relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a is controlled by the vertical gap Sh (Sh1, Sh2) between the engagement protruding part 16 and the engagement recessed part 17 described above.

[0054] On the other hand, if the angle ranges θ1 and θ2 are controlled by the radial gaps Sd and Sw between the engagement protruding part 16 and the engagement recessed part 17 as described above, the circular shape of the ring part 11a leads to susceptibility to the influence of radial distortion during molding, so dimensional control is unstable.

[0055] Therefore, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the angle range θ1, θ2 by which the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 can be tilted relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a is controlled by the vertical gap Sh (Sh1, Sh2) between the aforementioned engagement protruding part 16 and engagement recessed part 17, thus facilitating control during manufacturing.

[0056] In the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the nozzle cap 9 is rotated vertically together with the rotating member 11 between a position that blocks the liquid passage opening 7a of the nozzle part 7 and a position that opens the liquid passage opening 7a of the nozzle part 7. In addition, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the nozzle cap 9 can be attached to the nozzle part 7 by screwing, by rotating the nozzle cap 9 around the axis after placing the nozzle cap 9 on the nozzle part 7.

[0057] For this reason, a second female threaded part 18 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the circumferential wall part 9a (nozzle cap 9). On the other hand, the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle part 7 has a second male threaded part 19 that is screwed into the second female threaded part 18.

[0058] The second female threaded part 18 and the second male threaded part 19 are double-threaded threads that are mutually complementary. When a double-threaded screw is used, the nozzle cap 9 can be attached to and detached from the nozzle part 7 with a small rotational operation (approximately 180° in the present embodiment).

[0059] Specifically, when using the aforementioned double-threaded thread, there are two thread starting positions for the second female threaded part 18 and the second male threaded part 19. In other words, a pair of threads forming the second female threaded part 18 and a pair of threads forming the second male threaded part 19 are formed to protrude in a spiral shape at a prescribed pitch.

[0060] Of these, with regard to the second female threaded part 18, the starting point 18a of a first thread and the starting point 18b of a second thread forming a pair of threads are arranged with a phase difference of 180 degrees around the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9. In other words, the first starting point 18a and the second starting point 18b of the second female threaded part 18 are arranged at positions that are rotationally symmetrical with respect to the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9.

[0061] On the other hand, with regard to the second male threaded part 19, the starting point 19a of a first thread and the starting point 19b of a second thread forming a pair of threads are arranged with a phase difference of 180 degrees around the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7. In other words, the first starting point 19a and the second starting point 19b of the second male threaded part 19 are arranged at positions that are rotationally asymmetrical with respect to the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7.

[0062] n the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 3 and FIG. 10, the starting points 19a, 19b of the second male threaded part 19, which are the thread starting positions for the second male threaded part 19 to screw into the second female threaded part 18, are located at positions excluding the front and rear outer peripheral parts that face each other in the front-back direction of the nozzle part 7, and the threads of the second male threaded part 19 are located circumferentially around the outer periphery excluding the front and rear sides of the nozzle part 7.

[0063] As a result, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the threads of the second male threaded part 19 are not provided on the outer peripheral part of the rear side of the nozzle part 7, so when the rotating member 11 is rotated toward the nozzle part 7 relative to the cap main body 8 and the nozzle cap 9 is placed over the nozzle part 7, interference between the threads of the second female threaded part 18 and the threads of the second male threaded part 19 on the rear side can be prevented, and the nozzle cap 9 can be properly guided to the thread starting position.

[0064] In addition, by preventing interference between the threads of the second female threaded part 18 and the threads of the second male threaded part 19 on the rear side, the distance between the nozzle part 7 and the hinge part 10 can be reduced. Thereby, the nozzle part 7 and the hinge part 10 can be housed inside the outer lid 12, so the cap unit 1 can have a more compact configuration.

[0065] On the other hand, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the screw threads of the second male threaded part 19 are not provided on the outer peripheral part on the front side of the nozzle part 7, so when drinking a beverage (liquid) in the container main body 2 through the nozzle part 7, the feel of the beverage in the mouth of the nozzle part 7 is not hindered by the threads of the second male threaded part 19, a good feel on the mouth can be achieved.

[0066] In addition, a gap (play) is provided in the vertical direction between the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18 that are screwed together. As a result, when the second male threaded part 19 is threaded into the second female threaded part 18, the nozzle cap 9 can move axially (up and down) relative to the nozzle part 7 by an amount corresponding to the gap.

[0067] In the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 4 (A), (B) and FIG. 5 (A), (B), the rotating member 11 is rotated toward the nozzle part 7 relative to the cap main body 8, and from the state in which the nozzle cap 9 is placed over the nozzle part 7, the nozzle cap 9 is rotated to one side around the axis (clockwise when viewed from above), so that the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18 are threaded together.

[0068] At this time, although the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a is inclined relative to the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 in the front-back direction of the ring part 11a, the nozzle cap 9 is attached to enable pivoting freely in the front-back direction relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a, so the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18 can be smoothly screwed together while aligning the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 with the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9.

[0069] In other words, in order to smoothly screw the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18 together, the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 must be aligned with the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9.

[0070] On the other hand, the nozzle cap 9 is placed over the nozzle part 7 from diagonally above while the rotating member 11 is rotated toward the nozzle part 7 relative to the cap main body 8, so the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 and the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a do not align. In particular, the rotating member 11 is made of a highly rigid resin such as polypropylene, for example, and cannot be elastically deformed to a large extent.

[0071] In contrast, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the nozzle cap 9 is attached so as to be able to pivot freely around the entire circumference of the ring part 11a about the center axis AX1. Thereby, the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18 can be screwed together in the front-back direction while aligning the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 with the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 while tilting the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 in the front-rear direction relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a.

[0072] In the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 10, when the cap main body 8 is viewed from above, angle β formed by the front-back direction line T2 connecting the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 and the second starting point 19b, which is the thread starting position located on the rear side of the second male threaded part 19 in the rotational direction of the nozzle cap 9 centered on the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7, is larger than angle α formed by the straight line T1 connecting the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 and the first starting point 19a, which is the thread starting position located on the front side of the second male threaded part 19, with respect to a front-back reference line T0 passing through the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 (α < β).

[0073] Specifically, the first starting point 19a and the second starting point 19b of the second male threaded part 19 are arranged at positions that are rotationally asymmetrical with respect to the center axis AX3 of the aforementioned nozzle part 7. In other words, the first starting point 19a of the second male threaded part 19 is located at a position rotated by an angle α from the frontmost part of the nozzle part 7. On the other hand, the second starting point 19b of the second male threaded part 19 is located at a position rotated by an angle β from the rearmost part of the nozzle part 7. Furthermore, angle β is set to be larger than angle α.

[0074] Herein, the second female threaded part 18 and the second male threaded part 19 are double-threaded threads as described above. In the case of a double-threaded screw, only one of the pair of threads may be threaded together and the other might not be able to be threaded together, so-called one-sided engagement, and the second female threaded part 18 and the second male threaded part 19 might not be threaded together properly.

[0075] In particular, the nozzle cap 9 is placed on the nozzle part 7 from diagonally above while the rotating member 11 is rotated toward the nozzle part 7 relative to the cap main body 8, so the thread starting position on the rear side of the nozzle part 7, which is closer to the hinge part 10, begins before the thread starting position on the front side of the nozzle part 7, which is farther from the hinge part 10, so the nozzle cap 9 is more likely to experience one-sided engagement.

[0076] In contrast, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, by setting the aforementioned angle β to be larger than angle α, the start of screwing on the rear side of the nozzle part 7 can be delayed and the start of screwing on the front side of the nozzle part 7 can be accelerated, as compared to when angles α and β are set to the same angle or when angle α is set larger than angle β.

[0077] As a result, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the aforementioned one-sided engagement can be prevented from occurring by aligning the start of screwing on the rear side of the nozzle part 7 with the start of screwing on the front side of the nozzle part 7.

[0078] Furthermore, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 10, when the cap main body 8 is viewed from above, the distance L in the front-back direction between the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 and the first thread starting point 19a on the front side of the nozzle part 7 is larger than the distance M in the front-back direction between the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 and the second thread starting point 19b on the back side of the nozzle part 7 (L > M).

[0079] As a result, similar to the case where the aforementioned angle β is set larger than the angle α, the start of screwing on the rear side of the nozzle part 7 can be delayed and the start of screwing on the front side of the nozzle part 7 can be accelerated, thereby preventing the aforementioned one-sided engagement from occurring. Furthermore, in the second male threaded part 19, the threads starting from the first starting point 19a have a larger engagement margin than the threads starting from the second starting point 19b.

[0080] Angle α is preferably set from 20° to 70°, and more preferably from 30° to 60°. On the other hand, angle β is preferably larger than angle α by about 0.5° to 8°. The threads of the second male threaded part 19 are not provided on the outer peripheral part of the nozzle part 7 in the front-back direction, so if the angles α and β are too small, the aforementioned one-sided engagement is more likely to occur. On the other hand, if the angles α and β are too large, the engagement between the threads of the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18 will be reduced, so ensuring the strength of the screw engagement will be difficult.

[0081] Furthermore, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the nozzle cap 9 is placed on the nozzle part 7 from above at an angle while the rotating member 11 is rotated relative to the cap main body 8 toward the nozzle part 7. In the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the angle range θ2 within which the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 can be tilted left and right relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a depicted in FIG. 9 described above is reduced, and the angle range θ1 within which the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 can be tilted in the front-back direction to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a depicted in FIG. 8 is increased. In other words, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the angle range θ1 is larger than the angle range θ2. Thereby, the effect of suppressing the occurrence of the aforementioned one-sided engagement can be enhanced.

[0082] In other words, when attaching the nozzle cap 9 to the nozzle part 7 by screwing, the angle range θ1 over which the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 can be tilted in the front-back direction relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a described above is increased in order to align the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 with the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9, and the angle range θ2 over which the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9 can be tilted in the left-right direction relative to the center axis AX1 of the ring part 11a is as small as possible, in order to prevent the occurrence of the aforementioned one-sided engagement.

[0083] As described above, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the second male threaded part 19 on the nozzle part 7 side and the second female threaded part 18 on the nozzle cap 9 side can be prevented from one-sided engagement by aligning the center axis AX3 of the nozzle part 7 and the center axis AX2 of the nozzle cap 9, and thus the start screwing can be properly achieved.

[0084] Furthermore, the nozzle cap 9 can be fixed to the nozzle part 7 at the position where the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18 are completely screwed together.

[0085] On the other hand, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18 can be unscrewed from this state, and the nozzle cap 9 can be removed from the nozzle part 7 by rotating the nozzle cap 9 to the other side around the axis (counterclockwise when viewed from above).

[0086] As depicted in FIG. 1, FIG. 4(A), and FIG. 5(A), plug packing 20 is detachably attached to the lower surface of the top wall part 9b of the nozzle cap 9. The plug packing 20 is a sealing member for sealing the liquid passage opening 7a, and is made of an elastic material such as heat-resistant rubber, elastomer, and the like, such as silicone rubber or the like.

[0087] The plug packing 20 has an approximately cylindrical insertion part 20a, a plug part 20b that protrudes from the lower end of the insertion part 20a in the radial expansion direction around the entire circumference, and a protruding part 20c that protrudes downward from the center part of the plug part 20b. Furthermore, an enlarged diameter part 20d having an enlarged diameter over the entire circumference is provided on the upper part tip end side of the insertion part 20a.

[0088] On the other hand, the nozzle cap 9 has a hole part 9c that passes through the center part of the top wall part 9b in the vertical direction. Furthermore, a circular protruding part 9d is provided on the lower end side of the hole part 9c, protruding downward from the top wall 9b around the entire circumference of the hole part 9c. On the other hand, a reduced diameter part 9e having the smallest diameter is provided midway on the upper part side of the hole part 9c.

[0089] The plug packing 20 is attached to the lower surface of the top wall part 9b by inserting the insertion part 20a into the hole part 9c from below and then inserting the enlarged diameter part 20d of the insertion part 20a into the reduced diameter part 9e of the hole part 9c.

[0090] In the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the plug packing 20 can be easily attached to the inner lower surface of the nozzle cap 9 (lower surface of the top wall part 9b) by pinching the protruding part 20c of the plug packing 20 and pushing upward from the inside of the nozzle cap 9.

[0091] On the other hand, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the plug packing 20 can be easily removed from the inner lower surface of the nozzle cap 9 (lower surface of the top wall part 9b) by pinching the protruding part 20c of the aforementioned plug packing 20 and pulling downward.

[0092] Furthermore, the plug packing 20 removed from the nozzle cap 9 can be washed separately from the nozzle cap 9, so the gap between the plug packing 20 and the nozzle cap 9 can be kept hygienic.

[0093] Note that in order to insert the insertion part 20a into the hole part 9c, the insertion part 20a must have a certain degree of rigidity. Therefore, the plug packing 20 is preferably a solid member without a cavity inside the insertion part 20a. On the other hand, the plug packing 20 can be made lighter by making the inside of the insertion part 20a hollow, thereby reducing the amount of material used. In this case, a material with an appropriate hardness must be selected to ensure rigidity.

[0094] Furthermore, when the insertion part 20a is inserted into the hole part 9c, the plug packing 20 is attached to the inner lower surface of the nozzle cap 9, so that even if the nozzle cap 9 is blocking the liquid passage opening 7a of the nozzle part 7, the insertion part 20a (enlarged diameter part 20d) is exposed to the outside, so visually checking whether or not the plug packing 20 is attached is possible. Thereby, a missing plug packing 20 can be easily confirmed.

[0095] The protruding part 20c can enter the inside of the nozzle part 7 through the liquid passage opening 7a, and protrudes downward to an extent that can be pinched by fingers. Furthermore, the protruding part 20c is formed, for example, in a flat plate shape to enable easily holding by the fingers.

[0096] Furthermore, the long side of the flat plate shape is provided as a flange part 20e that protrudes in the radial expansion direction at the tip (lower end) of the protruding part 20c. The flange part 20e provides anti-slip function and finger grip function when the protruding part 20c is pinched by the fingers.

[0097] Furthermore, the lower end side of the protruding part 20c is located above the lower end of the nozzle cap 9 and below the center axis of the hinge part 10. If the protruding part 20c is too long, inserting the nozzle cap 9 into the inside of the nozzle part 7 through the liquid passage opening 7a will be difficult when placing the nozzle cap 9 on the nozzle part 7, but conversely, if the protruding part 20c is too short, grasping will be difficult.

[0098] In the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, when the nozzle cap 9 blocks the liquid passage opening 7a of the nozzle part 7, the plug part 20b is in tight contact with the entire circumference of the periphery of the liquid passage opening 7a located at the tip end side of the nozzle part 7.

[0099] Herein, the plug part 20b is hemispherical with a downward protruding shape, and has an upper rib 20f on the upper part side that is concentric with the insertion part 20a and protrudes upward. When the plug packing 20 is attached to the inner lower surface of the nozzle cap 9, the circular protruding part 9d is inserted into the valley part between the insertion part 20a and the upper rib 20f.

[0100] Therefore, when the plug part 20b comes into close contact with the periphery of the tip end side of the nozzle part 7, the plug part 20b is pressed down from above by the circular protruding part 9d, and the upper end of the upper rib 20f abuts against the lower surface side of the top wall part 9b.

[0101] Thereby, the center side (protruding part 20c side) of the plug part 20b is easily elastically deformed upward, and only the outer peripheral side of the plug part 20b that abuts the tip end side of the nozzle part 7 can elastically deform and bend.

[0102] Furthermore, the effective deflection length of the plug part 20b is reduced, and the plug part 20b is pressed from above by the circular protruding part 9d and from below by the tip end side of the nozzle part 7, so that the plug part 20b adheres more firmly to the periphery of the tip end side of the nozzle part 7. Thereby, the liquid passage opening 7a can be reliably sealed by the plug packing 20.

[0103] The outer lid 12 is made of, for example, a heat-resistant resin, and has a substantially circular bottom wall part 12a and a cylindrical circumferential wall part 12b that rises upward (downward in FIG. 1) from the periphery of the bottom wall part 12a, and is formed overall as a cylinder with bottom. The outer lid 12 protects the upper part of the capped container 100 and also functions as a cup into which the beverage dispensed from the liquid passage opening 7a can be poured and drunk.

[0104] The outer lid 12 is detachably attached to the cap main body 8 by screwing with the bottom wall part 12a facing upward. Therefore, a third male threaded part 21 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the circumferential wall part 8a of the cap main body 8. On the other hand, a third female threaded part 22 that screws into the third male threaded part 21 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the circumferential wall part 12b of the outer lid 12.

[0105] The third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 are double-threaded threads that are mutually complementary and have no inclination. When a double-threaded thread is used, the outer lid 12 can be attached and detached with a small rotation operation (approximately 180° in the present embodiment) with regard to the cap main body 8.

[0106] Furthermore, the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 do not extend spirally, but are configured to be screwed (engaged) together in a horizontal direction.

[0107] Specifically, as depicted in FIG. 11, the third male threaded part 21 is configured by thread grooves cut out in the horizontal direction from opposing positions on the outer peripheral surface of the circumferential wall part 8a. In addition, a locking protruding part 23 is provided protruding from the inside of the thread groove, just before the end of the third male threaded part 21. Additionally, a step 8d, against which the opening part 12c of the outer lid 12 abuts, is provided on the outer peripheral part of the cap main body 8 so as to be inclined downward and outward along the entire circumference.

[0108] On the other hand, as depicted in FIG. 12, the third female threaded part 22 is composed of threads that extend horizontally and protrude without inclination from opposing positions on the inner peripheral surface of the circumferential wall part 12b. In addition, a locking recessed part 24 with a portion of the screw threads removed is provided in front of the end of the third female threaded part 22.

[0109] In the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, when the outer lid 12 is placed on the cap main body 8, the outer lid 12 is rotated to one side around the axis (clockwise when viewed from above) at a position where the opening part 12c of the outer lid 12 abuts the step part 8d, so the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 are screwed together.

[0110] Furthermore, at the position where the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 are completely screwed together, the locking protruding part 23 is locked to the locking recessed part 24, thereby preventing the outer lid 12 from unintentionally separating or loosening, and enabling fixing the outer lid 12 to the cap main body 8 while providing a clicking sensation when passed over. More specifically, the tip end side of the third female threaded part 22 (separated portion on the right side of the locking recessed part 24 in FIG. 12) rides over the locking protruding part 23, and the locking protruding part 23 is locked into the locking recessed part 24, thereby providing a clicking sensation.

[0111] On the other hand, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the engagement between the locking recessed part 24 and the locking protruding part 23 is released, and then the screw engagement (locking) between the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 is released, by rotating the outer lid 12 from this state to the second side around the axis (counterclockwise when viewed from above), thus enabling removal of the outer lid 12 from the cap main body 8.

[0112] In the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment having the aforementioned configuration, as depicted in FIG. 13 (A) and (B), when the nozzle cap 9 is sufficiently tightened by screwing onto the nozzle part 7 and the outer lid 12 is attached to the cap main body 8, the outer lid 12 will be in a state of non-contact with the nozzle cap 9.

[0113] On the other hand, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 14, a case is described where the outer lid 12 is attached to the cap main body 8 when the nozzle cap 9 is partially screwed onto the nozzle part 7 and is in an insufficient state.

[0114] First, the nozzle cap 9 is rotated slightly to one side about the axis (clockwise when viewed from above), so that the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18 begin to partially screw together. In this half-threaded state, the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18 are not completely threaded together, and thus the adhesion between the plug part 20b of the plug packing 20 and the periphery of the tip end side of the nozzle part 7 is weak. Therefore, the liquid passage opening 7a is not securely sealed via the plug packing 20, and if, for example, the capped container 100A is vertically inverted or shaken vigorously, there is a possibility that the beverage (liquid) contained in the container main body 2 will leak from the liquid passage opening 7a to the inside of the outer lid 12.

[0115] On the other hand, when the outer lid 12 is attached to the cap main body 8, the outer lid 12 comes into contact with the nozzle cap 9 from above, and the outer lid 12 in contact with the nozzle cap 9 presses the nozzle cap 9 down from this state. Specifically, the inner surface side of the bottom wall part 12a of the outer lid 12 is abutted against the upper surface side of the top wall part 9b of the nozzle cap 9, and the outer lid 12 is then pushed downward from this state as depicted in FIG. 14, while being rotated to one side around the axis (clockwise when viewed from above), so that the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 are screwed together (engaged).

[0116] At this time, the nozzle cap 9 is pressed down against the nozzle part 7 by the amount of the gap (play) in the vertical direction between the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18. As a result, the plug part 20b of the plug packing 20 is bent due to elastic deformation, and the plug packing 20 is pressed against the liquid passage opening 7a.

[0117] Therefore, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the liquid passage opening 7a provided on the tip end side of the nozzle part 7 can be sealed with the plug packing 20 even when the nozzle cap 9 has been slightly screwed onto the nozzle part 7 and is in an insufficient state of tightening.

[0118] On the other hand, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 15, the case is described where the outer lid 12 is attached to the cap main body 8 in a pre-threaded state where the nozzle cap 9 is not screwed (attached) to the nozzle part 7 at all.

[0119] First, the nozzle cap 9 is placed on the tip end side of the nozzle part 7. In this state, the second female threaded part 18 is placed on the upper end of the second male threaded part 19, and the second male threaded part 19 and the second female threaded part 18 are not threaded together at all. In this state before being screwed together, the plug part 20b of the plug packing 20 and the tip end side of the nozzle part 7 are not in close contact with each other, or even if they are in close contact with each other, the contact is very weak. Therefore, the liquid passage opening 7a can not tightly closed by the plug packing 20, and if, for example, the capped container 100A is vertically inverted or shaken vigorously, there is a possibility that the beverage (liquid) contained in the container main body 2 will leak from the liquid passage opening 7a to the inside of the outer lid 12.

[0120] If an attempt is made to attach the outer lid 12 to the cap main body 8 from this state, the lower surface of the second female threaded part 18 will abut against the upper surface of the second male threaded part 19, causing interference between the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22, and thereby the outer lid 12 cannot be screwed onto (engaged with) the cap main body 8.

[0121] Therefore, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, the outer lid 12 cannot be attached to the cap main body 8 in the pre-screwed state where the nozzle cap 9 is not attached to the nozzle part 7 at all. In this case, the user can recognize that the nozzle cap 9 is not completely attached to the nozzle part 7, and by being made aware of this state, can retightening the nozzle cap 9 to the nozzle part 7, or not carry the capped container 100A.

[0122] Here, the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 are not formed in a spiral shape like a normal screw, but are configured to be screwed (engaged) together horizontally. Therefore, the vertical position at which the outer lid 12 can be attached to the cap main body 8 can be clearly defined.

[0123] If the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 are screwed together in a spiral manner, even if the screw is slightly engaged and screwed together, the outer lid 12 will move downward during rotation of the outer lid 12 relative to the cap main body 8. Therefore, if the outer lid 12 is attached when the nozzle cap 9 is only slightly screwed onto the nozzle part 7 and is in an insufficient state, the outer lid 12 will rotate and lower while abutting against the nozzle cap, causing the nozzle cap 9 to be pressed against the nozzle part 7 more strongly than necessary. In this case, the position at which screwing ends will vary depending on how tightly the user tightens the screw, so the position at which the attachment is complete cannot be easily determined.

[0124] On the other hand, the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 are configured to be screwed (ENGAGED) together horizontally, so the height at which the outer lid 12 begins to screw (rotate) relative to the cap main body 8 is the same as the height at which screwing is completed. Therefore, in the same case, the force pressing the nozzle cap 9 against the nozzle part 7 is constant and does not change even when screwing (locking) progresses.

[0125] Note that as depicted in FIG. 14, if the outer lid 12 is attached to the cap main body 8 in a state where the nozzle cap 9 has only slightly progressed in threading onto the nozzle part 7 and is in a state of insufficient tightening, when the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 are screwed (engaged) together horizontally, the nozzle cap 9 pushes the outer lid 12 upward due to the elastic force of the plug packing 20 against the nozzle part 7. Therefore, the fastening force between the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 is increased, and loosening of the outer lid 12 is prevented.

[0126] Furthermore, at the position where the third male threaded part 21 and the third female threaded part 22 are completely screwed together, the locking protruding part 23 is locked into the locking recessed part 24, and the user can recognize by a clicking sensation that the outer lid 12 has been completely fixed to the cap main body 8. Furthermore, as depicted in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the end position of the screw can be clearly defined in accordance with the engagement position of the locking recessed part 24 and the engagement protruding part 23. Therefore, the position at which attachment is completed does not change depending on the user, and thus is obvious.

[0127] As described above, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, when the outer lid 12 is attached to the cap main body 8 in a state where the nozzle cap 9 is not sufficiently tightened by screwing onto the nozzle part 7, the outer lid 12 abutted against the nozzle cap 9 presses down on the nozzle cap 9, causing the plug packing 20 to be pressed against the liquid passage opening 7a.

[0128] Thereby, the plug packing 20 can seal the liquid passage opening 7a, preventing the beverage (liquid) contained in the container main body 2 from leaking from the liquid passage opening 7a to the inside of the outer lid 12.

[0129] As described above, in the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment, a ring part 11a is provided at the tip end side of the rotating member 11 which is rotatably attached to the aforementioned cap main body 8 via the hinge part 10, and the nozzle cap 9 is rotatably attached inside the ring part 11a, thereby preventing the second male threaded part 19 on the nozzle part 7 side and the second female threaded part 18 on the nozzle cap 9 side from one-sided engagement, and therefore can be screwed together properly and easily. Furthermore, the nozzle part 7 and the hinge part 10 can be housed inside the outer lid 12, so the cap unit 1 can have a more compact configuration.

[0130] Therefore, by providing the capped container 100 of the present embodiment with the cap unit 1 of the present embodiment described above, control during manufacturing can be facilitated, further improving usability.

[0131] Note that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the purpose of the invention.

[0132] For example, in the aforementioned cap unit 1, the outer lid 12 is configured to be freely attached and detached by screwing to the aforementioned cap main body 8, but a configuration is also possible where the outer lid 12 is omitted, or a configuration where the outer lid 12 to be freely attached and detached by screwing to the container main body 2.

[0133] Furthermore, the cap unit 1 is configured such that an engagement protruding part 16, which is an engaging part, is provided on the inner peripheral part of the aforementioned ring part 11a, and an engagement recessed part 17, which is an engaged part that engages with the engagement protruding part 16, is provided on the outer peripheral part of the nozzle cap 9. However, the configuration may be reversed, or in other words, a configuration in which an engagement recessed part is provided on the inner peripheral part of the ring part 11a, and an engagement protruding part that engages with the engagement recessed part is provided on the outer peripheral part of the nozzle cap 9.

[0134] Furthermore, the outer lid 12 is not limited to a configuration that can be removably attached to the cap main body 8 or the container main body 2 by screwing, but a configuration that can be removably attached to the cap main body 8 or the container main body 2 by insertion, for example, is also possible.

[0135] Note that the above embodiment depicts an application where the present invention is applied to a beverage container having a heat / cold insulation function provided by the container main body 2 having the aforementioned vacuum insulation structure, but the present invention can be widely applied to a capped container having a container main body and a cap unit that can be freely attached and detached to the container main body.DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS

[0136] 1. Cap unit; 2. Container main body; 7. Nozzle part; 7a. Liquid passage opening; 8. Cap main body; 9. Nozzle cap; 11. Rotating member; 12. Outer lid; 16. Engagement protruding part (engaging part); 17. Engagement recessed part (engaged part); 18. Second female threaded part; 19. Second male threaded part; 20. Plug packing; 21. Third male threaded part; 22. Third female threaded part; 100. Capped container

Claims

1. A cap unit attached to a container main body having an open upper part, the cap unit comprising: a cap main body that closes an upper opening part of the container main body and is provided with a nozzle part that is in communication with the inside of the container main body; a nozzle cap that is detachably attached to the nozzle part by screwing, thereby opening and closing a nozzle opening provided on a tip end side of the nozzle part; and a rotating member that is rotatably attached to the cap main body via a hinge part, wherein when the nozzle cap is fitted inside a ring part provided on the tip end side of the rotating member, the nozzle cap is attached so as to be rotatable and pivotable about a center axis of the ring part; and the range of angles by which the center axis of the nozzle cap can be tilted relative to the center axis of the ring part is larger in the front-back direction than in the left-right direction of the ring part.

2. The cap unit according to claim 1, wherein an engaging part is provided circumferentially on the inner peripheral part of the ring part; an engaged part that engages with an engaging part is provided circumferentially on the outer peripheral part of the nozzle cap; an axial gap is provided between the engaging part and the engaged part that are mutually engaged, allowing the nozzle cap to move relative to the ring part; and the gap is larger on the front-back direction side than on the left-right side of the ring part.

3. The cap unit according to claim 2, wherein the lower surface or upper surface of the engaging part facing the engaged part is inclined so that the gap gradually increases from the left-right side position of the ring part toward the front-back direction side position.

4. The cap unit according to claim 1, wherein a female threaded part is provided on the inner peripheral part of the nozzle cap; a male threaded part that screws into the female threaded part is provided on the outer peripheral part of the nozzle part; and the thread starting position for screwing the male threaded part into the female threaded part is located at a position excluding the outer peripheral part facing the nozzle part in the front-back direction.

5. The cap unit according to claim 4, wherein in the rotation direction of the nozzle cap centered on the center axis of the nozzle part, the angle formed between a reference line in the front-back direction that passes through the center axis of the nozzle part and a line connecting the center axis of the nozzle part with a thread starting position at a position on a rear side of the male threaded part is larger than the angle formed between reference line and a line connecting the center axis of the nozzle part with a thread starting position at a position on a front side of the male threaded part.

6. The cap unit according to claim 1, further comprising: an outer lid that is detachably attached to the cap main body while covering the nozzle cap attached to the nozzle part, the rotating member, and the hinge part.

7. A capped container, comprising: the cap unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and a container main body to which the cap unit is attached.

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