Easy-to-separate cap member
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023036048
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-03-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-06
Smart Images
Figure 00000000_0000_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an easily separable cap member consisting of a main body cap fixed to the neck portion of a container body and a lid cap removably attached to the main body cap, which enables the main body cap to be separated from the neck portion of the container body. [Background technology]
[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Containers for storing liquid contents such as liquid detergent, fabric softener, bleach, starch, etc. are known in which a main body cap having a spout for pouring out the liquid contents is attached to the neck portion of the container. In recent years, from the viewpoint of resource saving through recycling, it has been required to remove a resin body cap from the neck of a container and to dispose of the container and the body cap separately (separate disposal). This type of body cap may have a linear fastening convex portion formed of a linear convex rib on its inner circumferential surface, which can be engaged with an engaged convex portion such as an annular convex rib formed on the neck of the container. Such a body cap is effective in preventing it from easily coming off the neck of the container, but since it is configured to be difficult to remove, it is difficult to remove it from the container.
[0003] Regarding the removal, various ideas have been proposed for the main body cap. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a lid having a weakened portion that is easily broken and is formed on the outer periphery and reaching the lower end of the cylindrical portion, a gripping portion that is formed protruding within the range of the weakened portion and is integrally connected to the cylindrical portion, an upper end of the weakened portion, and a remaining portion of the weakened portion that is formed between the gripping portions and has a width in the up-down direction greater than the width of a coin. This lid can be removed from the mouth by gripping the gripping portion formed by breaking the weakened portion and breaking the weakened portion in the circumferential direction, thereby loosening the pressure contact between the cylindrical portion and the mouth of the container. In addition, the synthetic resin dispensing caps described in Patent Documents 2 to 5 have a gap formed between the lower edge of the mounting tube of the cap body and the neck ring of the bottle mouth tube in the container body, into which the peripheral end of a coin can enter.
[0004] Patent Document 6 discloses a pouring tool having an inner cylinder that can be fitted to the inner circumferential surface of the mouth of a container, and an outer cylinder that surrounds the inner cylinder and hangs down to be fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the mouth, and the outer cylinder can be separated into a strip along its circumferential direction. This pouring tool grasps one end of the strip in the extending direction and separates the strip from the outer cylinder along the circumferential direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-20854 [Patent Document 2] JP 2002-249151 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2002-249154 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2002-370765 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2003-12017 A [Patent Document 6] JP 2009-269617 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] The lids or dispensing caps described in Patent Documents 1 to 5 are capable of removing the main cap from the neck of the container using a thin plate-like tool like a coin. However, the lid described in Patent Document 1 has a small gap for gripping the gripping part, making it difficult to pick it up with fingers. The dispensing caps described in Patent Documents 2 to 5 require a force to release the engagement between the lower end edge of the assembled tube and the neck ring over the entire circumference of the cap body when prying open the gap between the lower end edge of the assembled tube and the neck ring of the bottle mouth tube. Moreover, the dispensing tool of Patent Document 6 requires a force to break between the outer tube and the band-like part when starting to separate the band-like part from the outer tube. As described above, the lids, dispensing caps, and dispensing tools described in Patent Documents 1 to 6 are difficult to remove from the container.
[0007] The present invention relates to providing an easily separable cap member that can eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional techniques described above. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] The present invention relates to an easily separable cap member comprising a main body cap fixed to the neck portion of a container body and a lid cap removably attached to the main body cap, allowing the main body cap to be separated from the neck portion of the container body. In one embodiment, it is preferable that the main body cap is configured to include a fixed skirt portion that is fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the neck portion of the container body, and an attachment tube wall portion to which the lid cap is attached, which protrudes upward from a shoulder plate portion of the fixed skirt portion. In one embodiment, it is preferable that the tubular portion of the fixing skirt portion has a linear engaging protrusion formed on the inner surface thereof in a circumferential direction and engages with the engaging protrusion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion of the container body. In one embodiment, it is preferable that an insertion portion into which a thin plate-shaped jig can be inserted along the axial direction is formed along the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion at one axial end edge of the cylindrical portion. In one embodiment, it is preferable that a cut groove extending from one end edge portion to the other end edge portion in the axial direction of the tubular portion is formed so as to intersect with the linear engagement protrusion or an extension line thereof. In one embodiment, the cut groove and the insertion portion are preferably formed at positions adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion. In one embodiment, it is preferable that the linear attachment protrusion can be released from the engagement with the engaged protrusion by inserting a jig into the insertion portion, breaking the cut groove, and pulling a part of the tubular portion away from the main body cap, thereby making it possible to separate the fixed main body cap from the neck portion of the container body. Effect of the Invention
[0009] The easily separable cap member of the present invention has excellent operability when being removed from the container body. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1(a) is a cross-sectional view showing typically one embodiment of the easy-to-separate cap member of the present invention, taken along a straight line passing through the position of the insertion portion and the central axis of the main body cap, and Figure 1(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part A in Figure 1(a). [Diagram 2] Figure 2(a) is a cross-sectional view of the easily-separable cap member shown in Figure 1, cut along a straight line passing through the position of the thin-walled easy-to-break line and the central axis of the main body cap, and Figure 2(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part B in Figure 2(a). [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main body cap shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the main body cap of FIG. [Diagram 5] Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the insertion portion, Fig. 5(a) is an enlarged view of part C in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5(b) is an enlarged view showing a modified example of part C in Fig. 3. [Figure 6] 6(a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating a method for separating the main body cap of FIG. 3 from the container main body using a thin plate-shaped jig. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, which illustrates a schematic view of another embodiment of the easily separable cap member of the present invention. [Figure 8] 8(a) and (b) are views corresponding to FIG. 6, illustrating a method for separating the main body cap of FIG. 7 from the container main body using a thin plate-shaped jig. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 and showing still another embodiment of the main body cap of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10(a) is a view of the easily separable cap member shown in FIG. 9, which corresponds to FIG. 1(a), and FIG. 10(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion D shown in FIG. 10(a). [Figure 11]FIG. 11 is a view of the main body cap shown in FIG. 9, which corresponds to FIG. [Figure 12] 12(a) and (b) are views corresponding to FIG. 6, illustrating a method for separating the main body cap of FIG. 9 from the container main body using a thin plate-shaped jig. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a view of the main body cap shown in FIG. 12(a), which corresponds to FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3, which illustrates a schematic diagram of still another embodiment of the easily separable cap member of the present invention. [Figure 15] 15(a) and (b) are views corresponding to FIG. 6, illustrating a method for separating the main body cap shown in FIG. 14 from the container main body using a thin plate-shaped jig. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0011] The easy-separation cap member of the present invention will be described below based on its preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings. One embodiment of the easy-separation cap member of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1 to 6. The easy-separation cap member 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "cap member 1") of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 6 is a member that is attached to a container containing a liquid content therein and causes the liquid content to be poured out of the container. More specifically, it is attached to a neck portion 31 of a container body 30 that contains the liquid content. The neck portion 31 is a cylindrical portion having an outlet passage therein, and is provided at the upper end of the container body 30. The outlet passage is connected to the inside of the container body 30. The neck portion 31 has an engaging projection 31a formed on its outer circumferential surface. The engaging projection 31a is an annular protruding rib provided so as to protrude in an annular shape in the circumferential direction of the neck portion 31, and can be engaged with a linear engaging projection 11c described later.
[0012] The cap member 1 includes a main body cap 10A fixed to the neck portion 31, and a lid cap 20 removably attached to the main body cap 10A. The lid cap 20 in this embodiment is a measuring cap for measuring the content liquid. By using the cap member 1 equipped with a measuring cap, the content liquid such as liquid detergent contained in the container body 30 can be poured into the lid cap 20 via a dispensing nozzle described later and measured. The content liquid after measurement is usually discharged to another location such as a washing machine.
[0013] In this specification, the upward direction is a direction toward the upward direction in the vertical direction when the neck portion 31 of the container body 30 is facing upward in the vertical direction, and the downward direction is a direction toward the downward direction in the vertical direction in the above-mentioned state. In such a state, the axial direction Z of the main body cap 10A coincides with the height direction and the vertical direction of the container body 30. In this specification, in the axial direction Z of the main body cap 10A, the tip side of a dispensing nozzle 15 described later is referred to as the upper side, and the opposite side (the opposite side to the dispensing nozzle 15) is referred to as the lower side. In addition, the circumferential direction of the main body cap 10A is also simply referred to as the "circumferential direction," and the axial direction of the main body cap 10A is also simply referred to as the "axial direction."
[0014] The main body cap 10A is configured to include a fixed skirt portion 11 and a pouring nozzle 15 that serves as a flow path for the content liquid. The fixed skirt portion 11 is a portion that is fixed to the outer periphery of the neck portion 31 of the container body 30, and is a portion that protrudes radially outward at the lower end of the main body cap 10A. The fixed skirt portion 11 is configured to include an annular shoulder plate portion 11A and a tubular portion 11B that is formed hanging down from the outer periphery of the shoulder plate portion 11A.
[0015] The cylindrical portion 11B has a cylindrical upper cylindrical portion 11f that hangs down directly from the outer circumferential edge of the shoulder portion 11A, and a cylindrical stepped portion 11e that protrudes radially outward from the upper cylindrical portion 11f. The stepped portion 11e forms the lower end portion of the cylindrical portion 11B. The cylindrical portion 11B has a linear engagement protrusion 11c extending in the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the step portion 11e. The linear engagement protrusion 11c is a linear convex rib and can be engaged with the engagement protrusion 31a, which is an annular convex rib formed on the neck portion 31. That is, the main body cap 10A can be attached (fixed) to the neck portion 31 of the container body 30. The main body cap 10A of this embodiment is fitted to the neck portion 31 of the container body 30 by pushing the neck portion 31 between the fixing skirt portion 11 and the inner tube wall 13 described later (stoppering type). That is, the linear engagement protrusion 11c is engaged with the annular convex rib (the engagement protrusion 31a) on the base end side of the neck portion 31 by driving the main body cap 10A. This effectively prevents the main body cap 10A from coming off from the container body 30. Such an effect is also referred to as the "detachment prevention effect" below.
[0016] The main body cap 10A is formed with a mounting tube wall portion 12 that protrudes upward from the shoulder plate portion 11A. The mounting tube wall portion 12 is provided concentrically with the fixing skirt portion 11, and an engaged portion 12a made of a male thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the mounting tube wall portion 12. The engaged portion 12a is screwed into the lid cap 20, which has an engaging portion (not shown) made of a female thread on its inner circumferential surface, so that the lid cap 20 is detachably attached to the main body cap 10A.
[0017] The main body cap 10A of this embodiment has an inner cylinder wall 13 that is connected downward from the mounting cylinder wall portion 12. The inner cylinder wall 13 is a cylindrical portion formed radially inward of the fixing skirt portion 11, and the interior of the mounting cylinder wall portion 12 and the interior of the inner cylinder wall 13 are connected. When the main body cap 10A is attached to the neck portion 31, the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder wall 13 is arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the neck portion 31, and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder wall 13 and the inner peripheral surface of the neck portion 31 are in liquid-tight contact with each other. The inner cylinder wall 13 has a bottom wall 14 that is inclined obliquely with respect to the horizontal direction. In the present embodiment, the bottom wall 14 is formed with a flow opening 14b at approximately the center in a plan view, and further, the inclined bottom wall 14 is formed with a liquid return opening 14a at a lower position.
[0018] The dispensing nozzle 15 is a member that serves as an outflow path for the content liquid. The main body cap 10A of this embodiment has a dispensing nozzle 15 for dispensing the content liquid inside the inner cylinder wall 13. The dispensing nozzle 15 has a cylindrical shape, and a cutout portion 15A is formed along the height direction Z of the dispensing nozzle 15 in a part of its circumferential direction. A communication opening 14b is arranged at the lower end of the dispensing nozzle 15, and the space inside the dispensing nozzle 15 communicates with the inside of the container body 30 through the communication opening 14b. The dispensing nozzle 15 extends beyond the inner cylinder wall 13 and further protrudes upward from the mounting cylinder wall portion 12, and is erected on the bottom wall 14 of the inner cylinder wall 13. The dispensing nozzle 15 is formed to surround the periphery of the communication opening 14b. The pouring nozzle 15 of this embodiment is used to pour the content liquid into a lid cap 20 which is a measuring cap. For ease of explanation, the dispensing nozzle 15 is omitted from FIGS.
[0019] The notch 15A is inclined with respect to the height direction (axial direction Z) of the dispensing nozzle 15. The circumferential position of the base end portion (lower portion) of the notch 15A in this embodiment coincides with the circumferential position of the liquid return opening 14a, and the base end portion of the notch 15A reaches the bottom wall 14 and is continuous with the liquid return opening 14a located radially outward of the base end portion. In the main body cap 10A of this embodiment, air replacement in the container body 30 is promoted through the notch 15A when the content liquid is dispensed, so that the content liquid can be easily dispensed. The inclined shape of the notch 15A can be U-shaped, V-shaped, or the like. In this embodiment, the main body cap 10A is fixed to the neck portion 31 of the container body 30 and tilted so that the tip of the pouring nozzle 15 faces downward, thereby pouring the content liquid out of the container body 30.
[0020] A recess is formed between the inner cylinder wall 13 and the pouring nozzle 15, and the bottom of the recess is formed by the bottom wall 14. When the lid cap 20 is fixed to the main body cap 10A, a cylindrical portion (not shown) of the lid cap 20 is inserted into the recess. The cylindrical portion of the lid cap 20 has a scale or the like marked on its outer or inner peripheral surface so that an appropriate amount of the contents can be measured. In addition, a liquid return opening 14a is formed in the bottom wall 14, and the liquid content that has flowed into the recess through the opening 14a can be efficiently collected into the container body 30. For example, surplus liquid content that has not been discharged after pouring and liquid content that has been poured in during refilling can be collected inside the container body 30.
[0021] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the main body cap 10A of this embodiment has a cut groove 17 formed in the tubular portion 11B of the fixing skirt portion 11. The cut groove 17 extends from one axial end edge of the tubular portion 11B to the other axial end edge, and is formed so as to intersect with the linear engagement protrusion 11c. In this embodiment, two cut grooves 17a and 17b are formed in the tubular portion 11B, and one cut groove 17a (hereinafter also referred to as the "first cut groove") extends from the upper end edge of the tubular portion 11B connected to the shoulder plate portion 11A to the lower end edge, and is formed so as to intersect with the linear engagement protrusion 11c. The first cut groove 17a of this embodiment crosses the linear engagement protrusion 11c extending in the circumferential direction. The other cut groove 17b (hereinafter also referred to as the "second cut groove") is formed from the upper edge of the tubular portion 11B connected to the shoulder plate portion 11A to the upper end of the step portion 11e with a circumferential gap from the first cut groove 17a. That is, the second cut groove 17b does not reach the linear engagement protrusion 11c extended on the inner surface of the step portion 11e in the axial direction of the tubular portion 11B. Alternatively, the cut grooves 17a and 17b may be formed so as to intersect with an extension line of the linear engagement protrusion 11c from one axial end edge of the tubular portion 11B. For example, the first cut groove 17a may be formed so as to extend from an upper end edge of the tubular portion 11B in the axial direction Z to transverse the extension line of the linear engagement protrusion 11c.
[0022] In this specification, "the first cut groove 17a is formed so as to intersect with the linear engagement protrusion 11c or its extension line" includes a form in which the first cut groove 17a or the extension line of the first cut groove 17a is formed so as to intersect with the linear engagement protrusion 11c or its extension line. As shown in FIG. 4, the cut grooves 17a and 17b have a cross-sectional shape that is a recess such as a U-shape, a C-shape, or a V-shape. For ease of explanation, the pouring nozzle 15, the bottom wall 14, the communication opening 14b, and the liquid return opening 14a are omitted from FIG.
[0023] The angle range θ1 (see FIG. 4) between the two cut grooves 17a, 17b in the circumferential direction of the main body cap 10A is preferably 20° or more and 90° or less, and more preferably 25° or more and 50° or less. In this specification, the "angular range" refers to an angular range in the circumferential direction of the main body cap 10A, centered on the central axis of the main body cap 10A.
[0024] As shown in Figures 1(a) and (b) and Figure 3, in this embodiment, the main body cap 10A has an insertion portion 16 formed along the circumferential direction of the tubular portion 11B at one end edge portion in the axial direction Z of the tubular portion 11B, into which a thin-plate-shaped jig 5 can be inserted along the axial direction Z. Here, the thin plate-like jig 5 is preferably a readily available coin, but is not limited to this and may be a jig having a thin plate portion, such as a spatula. The insertion portion 16 of this embodiment is formed by a plurality of openings 16a arranged in a straight line connecting the first and second cut grooves 17a, 17b on the upper surface of the annular shoulder plate portion 11A. In this way, since the insertion portion 16 is formed on the shoulder plate portion 11A, the insertion portion 16 can be easily seen, and the thin plate-shaped jig 5 can be inserted into the insertion portion 16 in the direction of gravity, making the insertion operation easy. 1(a) and 1(b), the insertion portion 16 of this embodiment is located radially outward from the periphery of the upper end of the neck portion 31. This prevents interference between the jig 5 and the upper end of the neck portion 31, making it easier to insert the jig 5. Furthermore, since the jig 5 can be inserted between the main body cap 10A and the neck portion 31, the main body cap 10 can be removed from the neck portion 31 more smoothly.
[0025] The insertion portion 16 may be configured to allow the jig 5 to be inserted therein. For example, as shown in Figs. 5(a) to (c), the insertion portion 16 may be configured to have a plurality of openings intermittently formed between the two cut grooves 17a and 17b, or may be configured to have a continuous slit-like opening between the two cut grooves 17a and 17b. As shown in Fig. 5(a), the insertion portion 16A of this embodiment has five openings 16a arranged in a straight line at equal intervals between the two cut grooves 17a and 17b. These multiple openings 16a are arranged in a straight line so as to bridge between the two cut grooves 17a and 17b in a plan view of the main body cap 10, and are generally aligned in the circumferential direction of the shoulder plate portion 11A. The openings 16a forming this insertion portion 16A are openings that penetrate the shoulder plate portion 11A in the axial direction (see Fig. 2(a)). In the insertion portion 16A of this embodiment, the portion 16b between the openings 16a is also referred to as the bridge portion 16b. Since the insertion portion 16A is thus formed by a plurality of openings 16a, the thin plate-shaped jig 5 can be inserted to easily break the cut grooves 17a, 17b, while the bridging portions 16b between the openings 16a suppress unintentional breakage of the tubular portion 11B, particularly the cut grooves 17a, 17b.
[0026] In order to ensure the above-mentioned effects, it is preferable that opening 16a in insertion portion 16A of this embodiment have the following dimensions. The ratio of the total length L2 of the openings along the arrangement direction of the multiple openings 16a (see FIG. 5(a)) to the total length L1 of the insertion portion 16A is preferably 30% to 90%, more preferably 60% to 80%. The total length L1 of the insertion portion 16A is the length between the first and second cut grooves 17a, 17b, and is the length along the arrangement direction of the multiple openings 16a. The width W of the opening 16a (see FIG. 1(a)) is preferably 0.8 mm or more, more preferably 2.0 mm or more, and is preferably 3.5 mm or less, more preferably 3.0 mm or less, and is preferably 0.8 mm or more and 3.5 mm or less, more preferably 2.0 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less. The width W of the opening 16a is the length of the opening 16a in the radial direction of the main body cap 10A (see FIG. 1(a)).
[0027] Also, instead of the form shown in Fig. 5(a), the insertion portion 16 may be a slit-like groove that is continuous between the two cut grooves 17a, 17b. For example, as shown in Figs. 5(b) and (c), the insertion portion 16B may be a groove or a through hole that is formed in a straight line on the upper surface of the shoulder plate portion 11A so as to connect the cut grooves 17a, 17b and has a rectangular cross section. When the insertion portion 16B is a groove (see Fig. 5(b)), the insertion portion 16B does not penetrate the shoulder plate portion 11A, so that the shoulder plate portion 11A is less likely to break. This suppresses unintended breakage of the tubular portion 11B, particularly the cut grooves 17a, 17b. Furthermore, when the insertion portion 16C is a through hole (see FIG. 5(c)), the insertion portion 16C penetrates the shoulder plate portion 11A, so that the tubular portion 11B, particularly the cut grooves 17a and 17b, are more likely to break. The width (diameter of the main body cap 10A) of the grooves or through holes forming the insertion portions 16B, 16C can be set to be the same as the width W of the opening 16a forming the insertion portion 16A.
[0028] The main body cap 10 of this embodiment has a peripheral cutout 18 that is continuous with the upper end portions of the cutout grooves 17a and 17b and that is formed by partially cutting out the shoulder plate portion 11A (see FIG. 3). The cutout 18 is located on an extension line of the insertion portion 16A when it is extended in the extension direction, and cuts out a part of the outer periphery of the shoulder plate portion 11A. By having cutouts on both sides of the insertion portion 16A in this way, it is possible to more easily insert the jig 5 into the insertion portion 16A.
[0029] In the main body cap 10A of this embodiment, the cut grooves 17a and 17b and the insertion portion 16 are formed at positions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion 11B, as shown in Fig. 3. Specifically, the cut grooves 17a and 17b are located at the upper end edge of the cylindrical portion 11B near the opening 16a of the insertion portion 16A formed on the upper surface of the shoulder plate portion 11A. As a result, when the jig 5 inserted into the insertion portion 16A is tilted radially outward of the main body cap 10A, a force that tries to spread the insertion portion 16A due to the principle of leverage described later is transmitted to the cut grooves 17a and 17b, and the cut grooves 17a and 17b are broken.
[0030] In the present embodiment, the main body cap 10A can be separated from the main body cap 10A by inserting the jig 5 into the insertion portion 16A as shown in Fig. 6(a) and breaking the cylindrical portion 11B along the cut grooves 17a and 17b as shown in Fig. 6(b). This releases the linear fastening protrusions 11c from the engaged protrusions 31a at the separated portion, and the fixed main body cap 10A can be separated from the neck portion 31 of the container body 30. More specifically, the thin plate-like jig 5 is pressed against the insertion portion 16A, and the jig 5 is inserted into the insertion portion 16A while breaking all the bridge portions 16b formed in the insertion portion 16A. Next, the insertion portion 16A is pushed outward in the radial direction of the main body cap 10A by the principle of leverage, with the edge of the opening formed by breaking the insertion portion 16A with the jig 5 as the point of action, and the outer surface portion of the neck portion 31 facing the area surrounded by the insertion portion 16A and the cut grooves 17a and 17b of the cylindrical portion 11B (hereinafter also referred to as the "easily breakable portion F") as the point of force. The force pushing out the insertion portion 16A in the radial direction is propagated to the cut grooves 17a and 17b, and the cylindrical portion 11B is broken along the cut grooves 17a and 17b. Next, the easily breakable portion F of the tubular portion 11B is pulled away from the main body cap 10A, whereby the engagement between the linear engaging protrusion 11c formed inside the easily breakable portion F and the engaged protrusion 31a is released, loosening the pressure contact between the main body cap 10A and the neck portion 31. Then, the fixed main body cap 10A can be separated from the neck portion 31 of the container body 30.
[0031] As described above, the easy-separation cap member 1 of this embodiment is designed so that the thin plate-like jig 5 can be easily pushed into the insertion portion 16A. In addition, the linear engaging protrusion 11c that engages with the engaging protrusion 31a of the neck portion 31 or the cut grooves 17a, 17b formed so as to intersect with the extension line of the linear engaging protrusion 11c are formed adjacent to the insertion portion 16A. As a result, by inserting a familiar object such as a coin as the jig 5 into the insertion portion 16, a part (easily breakable portion F) of the main body cap 10A surrounded by the insertion portion 16 and the cut grooves 17a, 17b can be easily separated from the neck portion 31 of the container body 30 with a small force using the principle of leverage. Furthermore, as described above, the engagement between the main body cap 10A and the neck portion 31 is released at the easily breakable portion F, so that the pressure between the main body cap 10A and the neck portion 31 can be easily loosened, making it possible to separate the main body cap 10A from the container body 30 with little force. That is, the easy-separation cap member 1 of this embodiment is excellent in operability when being removed from the container body 30.
[0032] In this embodiment, a thin-walled, easy-to-break line 44 is formed extending in the circumferential direction in the cylindrical portion 11B of the fixing skirt portion 11 in a region closer to the shoulder plate portion 11A than the linear engagement protrusion 11c (see FIG. 6). In this case, it is preferable that at least one of the cut grooves 17 is formed so as to connect to one end of the thin-walled, easy-to-break line 44. In the cylindrical portion 11B of this embodiment, the lower end of the second cut groove 17b is connected to one end 44a of the thin-walled easy-to-break line 44, and the cut groove 17b and the thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 form an L-shape (see FIG. 3). The "connection" means that the lower end of the second cut groove 17b and one end 44a of the thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 are positioned so as to overlap each other. In the cylindrical portion 11B of this embodiment, a band-shaped portion below the thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 in the axial direction Z, i.e., a band-shaped portion on the lower end side where the linear engagement protrusion 11c is formed on the inside (hereinafter, also referred to as the "break belt 41"), is circumferentially continuous with the lower end portion of the easy-to-break portion F (see FIG. 6). The break belt 41 of this embodiment is a portion of the step portion 11e that overlaps with the thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, by breaking the tubular portion along the cut grooves 17a, 17b by the principle of leverage using the jig 5, when the easily breakable portion F is separated from the main body cap 10A, the thin-walled easily breakable line 44 connected to the second cut groove 17b breaks, and the breakable belt 41 continuous with the easily breakable portion F can also be separated from the main body cap 10A (see FIG. 6(b)). As a result, the linear engagement protrusion 11c formed on the inside of the easily breakable portion F, as well as the linear engagement protrusion 11c formed on the inside of the breakable belt 41, are released from the engagement protrusion 31a. As a result, the pressure contact between the main body cap 10A and the neck portion 31 can be further loosened, and the main body cap 10A can be separated from the container body 30 with less force.
[0033] The thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 of this embodiment is formed on the outer surface of the tubular portion 11B as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. More specifically, it is formed on the outer surface of the tubular portion 11B in the vicinity of the boundary between the upper tubular portion 11f and the step portion 11e along the circumferential direction. The thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 is formed by extending in the circumferential direction from the position where it connects with the lower end of the second cut groove 17b (see Figs. 3 and 4). The thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 is a linear groove along the circumferential direction, and its cross-sectional shape is a concave shape such as a U-shape, a C-shape, or a V-shape (see Fig. 2(b)).
[0034] The thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 may be formed in any angle range in the circumferential direction of the main body cap 10A. For example, the thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 may be formed continuously around the entire circumference of the main body cap 10A except for the easy-to-break portion F. From the viewpoint of the frangibility of the tubular portion 11B, the angle range θ2 (see FIG. 4) in which the thin-walled frangible line 44 is formed in the circumferential direction is preferably 90° or more and 350° or less, more preferably 270° or more and 300° or less.
[0035] As described above, in this embodiment, the second cut groove 17b and the thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 form an L-shape. In this case, in addition to breaking the cut grooves 17a and 17b, tearing and breaking the thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 connected to the second cut groove 17b can also be performed continuously. Therefore, such a series of breaking operations can be performed extremely smoothly.
[0036] Another embodiment of the main body cap according to the cap member 1 of the present invention will be described below. In the following, the other embodiment will be described mainly with respect to components different from the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6, and similar components will be given the same reference numerals and description will be omitted. For components that are not particularly described, the description of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6 will be applied as appropriate.
[0037] In the main body cap 10A according to the embodiment described above, the second cut groove 17b does not reach the linear engagement protrusion 11c extended on the inner surface of the step portion 11e in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 11B, but the form of the cut groove is not limited to this. In the embodiment described above, the thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 is formed by extending in the circumferential direction from the position connected to the lower end of the second cut groove 17b, but the thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 may not be formed in the cylindrical portion 11B. In the main body cap 10B shown in FIG. 7, the cut grooves 17a and 17b are continuous between both ends of the cylindrical portion 11B in the axial direction Z. In addition, the thin-walled easy-to-break line 44 is not formed in the cylindrical portion 11B of this embodiment.
[0038] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, both the first cut groove 17a and the second cut groove 171b extend from the upper edge to the lower edge of the tubular portion 11B and are formed so as to intersect with the linear engagement protrusion 11c. Instead of such a configuration, the cut grooves 17a and 171b may be formed so as to intersect with an extension line of the linear engagement protrusion 11c from the upper end edge of the cylindrical portion 11B. For example, the cut grooves 17a and 171b may be formed so as to transverse the extension line of the linear engagement protrusion 11c from the upper end edge of the cylindrical portion 11B in the axial direction Z.
[0039] As shown in Fig. 8, the main body cap 10B of this embodiment can break the tubular portion 11B along the cut grooves 17a, 171b by the principle of leverage using a jig 5. At this time, the tubular portion 11B is continuously broken along the entire length of the axial direction Z along the cut grooves 17a, 171b, so that only the easy-to-break portion F can be completely separated from the main body cap 10A. The tubular portion 11B from which the easy-to-break portion F has been separated can be separated from the neck portion 31 by bending the tubular portion 11B radially outward. In this way, the main body cap 10B of this embodiment also has excellent operability when removed from the container body 30. Furthermore, since there is no need to form the thin-walled, easily broken line 44 in the main body cap 10B, the structure of the mold for molding the main body cap 10B can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
[0040] In each of the main body caps shown in Figures 1 to 8, the insertion portion 16 is formed on the shoulder plate portion 11A, but the insertion portion 16 may also be formed on the lower edge portion, which is one of the axial edge portions of the tubular portion 11B. In the main body cap 10C shown in FIG. 9, an insertion portion 161 into which a thin plate-like jig 5 can be inserted along the axial direction Z is formed along the circumferential direction of the tubular portion 11B at the lower end edge of the tubular portion 11B. The insertion portion 161 of this embodiment is formed in a straight line at the lower end edge so as to connect the cut grooves 172a and 172b (see FIG. 9), and is an opening that is concavely cut out toward the inside in the axial direction Z (see FIGS. 10(a) and 10(b)). The insertion portion 161 is designed so that after the jig 5 is inserted into the opening, the jig 5 can be inserted along the axial direction Z (see FIG. 12). From the viewpoint of making it easier to insert the jig 5 along the axial direction Z after inserting the jig 5 and from the viewpoint of more reliably obtaining the detachment prevention effect, the height H of the opening of the insertion portion 161 (see FIG. 10(b)) is preferably 0.8 mm or more and 3.4 mm or less, and preferably 1.8 mm or more and 2.4 mm or less. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 10(a) corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.
[0041] As shown in Figs. 9 and 11, the main body cap C has a cut groove 172 formed in the cylindrical portion 11B of the fixing skirt portion 11. The cut groove 172 extends upward from the lower end edge portion of the cylindrical portion 11B in the axial direction Z and is formed so as to intersect with the linear engagement protrusion 11c. In this embodiment, two cut grooves 172a, 172b are formed in the cylindrical portion 11B so as to cross the linear engagement protrusion 11c. The first cut groove 172a extends from the lower end edge portion of the cylindrical portion 11B to the upper side in the axial direction Z of the upper cylindrical portion 11f, and the second cut groove 172b extends from the lower end edge portion to the center in the axial direction Z of the upper cylindrical portion 11f with a circumferential gap from one of the cut grooves 172a (the first cut groove 172a). That is, the first cut groove 17a and the second cut groove 172b do not reach the upper edge of the cylindrical portion 11B. Alternatively, the cut grooves 172 may be formed so as to intersect with an extension line of the linear engagement protrusion 11c from one end edge (lower end edge) in the axial direction Z of the cylindrical portion 11B. For example, the cut grooves 172a, 172b may be formed so as to transverse the extension line of the linear engagement protrusion 11c from the lower end edge of the cylindrical portion 11B in the axial direction Z. The cut grooves 172a, 172b have a cross-sectional shape that is a concave shape such as a U-shape, a U-shape, a V-shape, or the like.
[0042] In this embodiment, a thin-walled easy-to-break line 441 is formed extending in the circumferential direction in a region closer to the shoulder plate portion 11A side than the linear engagement protrusion 11c in the cylindrical portion 11B of the fixing skirt portion 11. In this case, it is preferable that at least one of the cut grooves 172 is formed so as to connect to one end of the thin-walled easy-to-break line 441. In the cylindrical portion 11B of this embodiment, the upper end of the first cut groove 172a is connected to one end 441a of the thin-walled easy-to-break line 441, and the first cut groove 172a and the thin-walled easy-to-break line 441 form an L-shape (see FIG. 11). The "connection" means that the upper end of the first cut groove 172a and one end 441a of the thin-walled easy-to-break line 441 are positioned so as to overlap each other. In the cylindrical portion 11B of this embodiment, a belt-shaped portion below the thin-walled easy-to-break line 441 in the axial direction Z, that is, a belt-shaped portion (hereinafter also referred to as "break belt 411") having a linear engagement protrusion 11c formed on the inside, includes a part (easy-to-break portion F1) of the main body cap 10C surrounded by the insertion portion 161 and the cut grooves 172a and 172b (see FIG. 12). The breakable belt 411 of this embodiment includes a part of the upper tube portion 11f located below the thin-walled easy-to-break line 441 in the axial direction Z and a step portion 11e.
[0043] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12(a), the jig 5 is inserted into the insertion portion 161, and then the jig 5 is inserted along the axial direction Z, so that the gap between the linear engagement protrusion 11c and the engaged protrusion 31a at the easy-to-break portion F1 is opened as shown in Fig. 12(b), and the engagement between the linear engagement protrusion 11c and the engaged protrusion 31a is released. When the engagement is released, the cut grooves 172a and 172b are broken by stress concentration due to the force applied to break the gap between the linear engagement protrusion 11c and the engaged protrusion 31a, so that the thin-walled easy-to-break line 441 connected to the first cut groove 172a in an L-shape is also broken continuously. This makes it possible to perform a series of breaking operations extremely smoothly.
[0044] The thin-walled easy-to-break line 441 of this embodiment is formed on the outer surface of the tubular portion 11B as shown in Figs. 9 to 11. More specifically, it is formed along the circumferential direction on the outer surface of the upper end of the tubular portion 11B. The thin-walled easy-to-break line 441 is formed by extending in the circumferential direction from a position where it connects with the upper end of the first cut groove 172a (see Figs. 9 and 11). The thin-walled easy-to-break line 441 is a linear groove along the circumferential direction, and its cross-sectional shape is a concave shape such as a U-shape, a C-shape, or a V-shape (see Fig. 10). For ease of explanation, the pouring nozzle 15, the bottom wall 14, the flow opening 14b, and the liquid return opening 14a are omitted from FIG.
[0045] The thin, easy-to-break line 441 of this embodiment can be formed in any angle range in the circumferential direction of the main cap 10C. For example, the thin, easy-to-break line 441 may be formed continuously around the entire circumference of the main cap 10C. From the viewpoint of the frangibility of the tubular portion 11B, the angle range θ3 (see FIG. 11) in which the thin-walled frangible line 441 is formed in the circumferential direction is preferably 90° or more and 350° or less, more preferably 270° or more and 300° or less.
[0046] In the present embodiment, the cut grooves 172a, 172b and the thin, easy-to-break line 441 are easily broken continuously by prying open a part (easy-to-break portion F1) of the main body cap 10C surrounded by the insertion portion 161 and the cut grooves 172a, 172b with the jig 5. This makes it possible to easily separate the break belt 411, which is located below the thin, easy-to-break line 441 in the axial direction Z and has the linear engagement protrusion 11c formed on the inside, from the main body cap 10C. As a result, the entire break belt 411 including the easy-to-break portion F1 is separated from the main body cap 10C, and the linear engagement protrusion 11c formed on the inside of the break belt 411 is released from the engagement protrusion 31a. Since the break belt 411 of this embodiment is wider than the break belt 41 shown in Figure 6, it is easier to loosen the pressure between the main body cap 10C and the neck portion 31, and the fixed main body cap 10C can be easily separated from the neck portion 31. Therefore, the main body cap 10C of this embodiment also has excellent operability when being removed from the container main body 30. Furthermore, according to the main body cap 10C, the opening forming the insertion portion 161 is formed in the lower edge portion of the cylindrical portion 11B. This makes it possible to more reliably ensure liquid-tightness between the main body cap C and the neck portion 31 in the upper portion in the axial direction Z, thereby preventing the liquid contained in the container body 30 from leaking out unintentionally.
[0047] The main body cap 10D shown in Figs. 14 and 15 is a partly modified version of the main body cap 10C shown in Figs. In the main body cap 10C shown in Figures 9 to 13, the first cut groove 172a and the second cut groove 173b are not continuous over the entire length of the axial direction Z of the cylindrical portion 11B, but this is not limited to the above. In contrast, in the main body cap 10D shown in Figure 14, both cut grooves 173a and 173b are continuous between both end edges of the cylindrical portion 11B in the axial direction Z. Furthermore, the thin-walled easy-to-break line 441 is not formed in the cylindrical portion 11B of this embodiment.
[0048] As shown in FIG. 14, in the tubular portion 11B of this embodiment, both the first cut groove 173a and the second cut groove 173b extend from the lower edge portion to the upper edge portion of the tubular portion 11B and are formed so as to intersect with the linear engagement protrusion 11c. Instead of such a configuration, the cut grooves 173a and 173b may be formed so as to intersect with an extension line of the linear engagement protrusion 11c from the lower end edge of the cylindrical portion 11B. For example, the cut grooves 173a and 173b may be formed so as to transverse the extension line of the linear engagement protrusion 11c from the lower end edge of the cylindrical portion 11B in the axial direction Z.
[0049] The main body cap 10D of this embodiment is also configured so that the easily breakable portion F1 can be separated by inserting the jig 5 into the insertion portion 16. Specifically, as shown in Figures 15(a) and (b), the engagement between the linear engaging protrusion 11c and the engaged protrusion 31a formed on the inside of the easily breakable portion F1 can be released by a simple operation of prying open only the easily breakable portion F1 with the jig 5, thereby loosening the pressure contact between the main body cap 10D and the neck portion 31, and the main body cap 10D fixed to the neck portion 31 can be easily separated from the container body 30. That is, the main body cap 10D of this embodiment also has excellent operability when being removed from the container main body 30. Furthermore, according to the main body cap 10D, like the main body cap 10C, the opening forming the insertion portion 161 is formed in the lower edge portion of the cylindrical portion 11B. This reliably ensures liquid-tightness between the main body cap D and the container body 30, thereby preventing the liquid contained in the container body 30 from leaking unintentionally. Furthermore, according to the main body cap 10D, since there is no need to form the thin-walled, easily breakable line 441, the structure of the mold for molding the main body cap 10D can be simplified, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.
[0050] The cap member in each of the above-described embodiments is a molded product made of synthetic resin such as polypropylene or polyethylene, or bioplastic such as polylactic acid, and is preferably formed by injection molding.
[0051] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. In addition, the configurations of the above-described embodiment may be combined. For example, the main body cap in each of the above-described embodiments is attached to the neck portion 31 by pressing the neck portion 31 between the fixing skirt portion 11 and the inner cylinder wall 13, but the manner of attachment to the neck portion 31 is not limited to this. For example, the main body cap may be attached to the neck portion 31 by screwing a female thread ridge (not shown) formed on the inner peripheral surface of the upper cylinder portion 11f into a male thread ridge (not shown) provided on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 31.
[0052] Further, although the cut grooves in the above-described embodiment are formed linearly along the axial direction Z, this is not limited thereto, and may be formed, for example, at an angle to the axial direction or in a curved shape. In addition, in the main body caps of each embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6 and Figures 9 to 13, the thin-walled easy-to-break line extends counterclockwise X1 from the position where it connects to the end of the cut groove, but it may also extend clockwise X2. Furthermore, the thin-walled easy-to-break line is formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 11B, but may be formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 11B. In this case, the thin-walled easy-to-break line is not visible from the outside, so that a good appearance can be obtained. [Explanation of symbols]
[0053] 1 Easy-to-separate cap member 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D Body cap 11. Fixed skirt part 11A Shoulder board 11B Cylindrical part 11b Female thread ridge 11c Linear engagement protrusion 11d Retaining rib 11e Step 11f Upper cylinder part 12 Mounting tube wall 12a Engaged part 13 Inner cylinder wall 14 Bottom wall 14a Liquid return opening 15 Spout nozzle 15A Notch 16, 16A, 16B, 16C, 161 Insertion part 17 Cutting groove 17a, 171a, 172a, 173a First groove (groove) 17b, 171b, 172b, 173b Second groove (groove) 20 Lid Cap 30 Container body 31 Oral area 31a Engaged convex part 40 Extension strip 41,411 Broken Belt 44,441 Thin easily broken line F, F1 Easy-to-break part X1 Counterclockwise X2 Clockwise Z axis direction
Claims
1. An easily separable cap member comprising a main body cap fixed to a neck portion of a container body and a lid cap detachably attached to the main body cap, the main body cap being separable from the neck portion of the container body, The main body cap includes a fixing skirt portion fixed to the outer periphery of the neck portion of the container main body, and an attachment tube wall portion provided to protrude upward from a shoulder plate portion of the fixing skirt portion and to which the lid cap is attached, The cylindrical portion of the fixing skirt portion is formed with a linear engaging projection extending circumferentially from the inner surface thereof and engaging with an engaging projection provided on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion of the container body, an insertion portion into which a thin plate-like jig can be inserted along the axial direction is formed along a circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion at one end edge portion in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion, The cylindrical portion is formed with a notched groove extending from one end edge portion to the other end edge portion in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion so as to intersect with the linear engagement protrusion or an extension line thereof, and the notched groove and the insertion portion are formed at positions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion, An easy-to-separate cap member in which a jig is inserted into the insertion portion, the notched groove is broken, and a portion of the tubular portion is pulled away from the main body cap, thereby releasing the engagement of the linear engaging protrusion with the engaged protrusion, and allowing the fixed main body cap to be separated from the neck portion of the container body.
2. a thin-walled, easy-to-break line is formed extending in a circumferential direction in a region of the cylindrical portion of the fastening skirt portion closer to the shoulder plate portion than the linear engaging protrusion, The easily separable cap member according to claim 1 , wherein the cut groove is formed so as to connect to one end of the thin-walled, easily breakable line.
3. The easily separable cap member according to claim 1 , wherein the cut groove is continuous between both axial edges of the cylindrical portion.
4. The easily separable cap member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the insertion portion is formed on the shoulder plate portion.
5. The easy-separation cap member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the insertion portion consists of a continuous slit-shaped opening between the two cut grooves, or a plurality of openings formed intermittently between the two cut grooves.