Container with cap seal, and cap seal

Abstract

To provide a container with cap seal and a cap seal capable of surely and easily determining that the container is opened by a visual inspection.SOLUTION: A container with cap seal includes: a container which includes a container body including a cylindrical neck part which has an opening, and a cap for closing the opening; and a cylindrical cap seal for covering at least a side surface of the cap. The neck part includes a protrusion part protruding to the outside at a position having a predetermined interval below the cap. An upper end of the cap seal is positioned on an upper surface of the cap, and a lower end of the cap seal is positioned below the protrusion part of the neck part. The cap seal includes an easily breakable part extending in the circumferential direction on a lower side than the upper end of the protrusion part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container with a cap seal and a cap seal. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, containers with caps, such as PET bottles, have a ring-shaped member called a tamper ring attached to the bottom of the cap so that it can be broken by unscrewing the cap. Whether or not the container has been opened can be easily determined by whether or not the tamper ring has been broken.

[0003] However, in the case of containers using caps that do not have a tamper ring (e.g., pouches with spouts), a cap seal may be provided to seal the container when the container is closed with the cap in order to determine whether the container has been opened or not.

[0004] Patent Document 1 (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-23803) discloses various cap seals for sealing containers, which have a tamper-proof (seal guarantee) function. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Publication No. 4-23803 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the cap seal disclosed in Patent Document 1, when an attempt is made to pull the cap seal upwards, the perforations etc. provided around the circumference of the cap seal break, and by checking the broken state it is possible to determine that the cap seal has been opened.

[0007] In a container having a cap seal with the above-mentioned tamper-proof cap seal, it is required that the user can as reliably as possible notice the broken state and determine that the container has been opened.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a container with a cap seal and a cap seal that enable reliable and easy determination of whether the container has been opened. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The cap-sealed container of the present invention comprises: A container including a container body including a cylindrical neck portion having an opening, and a cap for closing the opening; a cylindrical cap seal that spans the container body and the cap to cover the container; Equipped with. The neck portion has a protrusion protruding outwardly at a position spaced a predetermined distance below the cap, an upper end of the cap seal is located on an upper surface or a side surface of the cap, and a lower end of the cap seal has a perimeter that is smaller than a perimeter of the protrusion; The cap seal has an easy-to-break portion extending in the circumferential direction below the upper end of the protruding portion. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a container with a cap seal and a cap seal that enable reliable and easy determination that the container has been opened.

[0011] That is, in the present invention, when the cap is removed together with the cap seal to open the container, the easily breakable portion (perforation line, etc.) extending in the circumferential direction (diameter direction) of the cap seal breaks, and the lower region of the cap seal remains below the protruding portion of the container body. Even if the cap is reattached to the container body together with the upper region of the cap seal (recapping), the upper region of the cap seal remains above the protruding portion of the container body. Therefore, the upper and lower regions of the cap seal do not come close to each other again, and a clear gap is created between the upper and lower regions, so that it is possible to reliably and easily detect (at a glance) that the container has been opened by visual inspection, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a container with a cap seal according to an embodiment, in which the right half of the container is shown in cross section (longitudinal cross section). [Diagram 2] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view (longitudinal cross-sectional view) of an upper portion of a container with a cap seal according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the upper portion of a container with a cap seal according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the upper portion of the container according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is an enlarged front view showing a state in which a container with a cap seal of an embodiment has been recapped after the cap seal has been broken. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view (longitudinal cross-sectional view) of an upper portion of a container with a cap seal (a pouch with a spout) according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, "upper" and "lower" are based on the state in which the open side is the upper side and the side without the opening (bottom side) is the lower side in the direction in which the neck extends.

[0014] <Overview of containers with cap seal> The container with a cap seal 1 of this embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 comprises a container 2 having a container body 3 and a cap 4, and a cylindrical cap seal 5 attached by heat shrinking to the head 21 of the container 2 (see Figure 4). Here, the head 21 of the container 2 is composed of the cap 4, the upper portion 35 of the neck portion 33 of the container body 3, the protruding portion 34, and an upper part of the lower portion 36 (seal portion 36a) (see FIG. 4). That is, the cylindrical cap seal 5 covers the container 2 by spanning the container body 3 and the cap 4. The cylindrical cap seal 5 covers at least a part of the side surface 42 of the cap 4 and at least a part of the exposed surface of the neck portion 33. The upper end 5 a of the cap seal 5 is located on the upper surface 41 or the side surface 42 of the cap 4 . The lower end 5b of the cap seal 5 has a circumference smaller than that of the protruding portion 34. That is, the lower end 5b of the cap seal 5 has a reduced diameter compared to the circumference (outer diameter) of the protruding portion 34. The lower end 5b of the cap seal 5 is located below the protruding portion 34 of the neck portion 33 of the container body 3. The cap seal 5 has an easy-to-break portion 51 extending in the circumferential direction below the upper end of the protruding portion 34 .

[0015] Hereinafter, the cap seal before being heat-shrunk is referred to as an "unshrunk cap seal", and the cap seal attached to the container 2 by heat-shrunk is simply referred to as a "cap seal".

[0016] <Container> The container 2 has a container body 3 and a cap 4 attached to the container body 3. The container body 3 includes a cylindrical neck 33 having an opening 30 . The cap 4 closes the opening 30 .

[0017] The container body 3 shown in FIG. 1 has, from the bottom, a body portion 31 having a storage space for storing contents, a shoulder portion 32 connected to the body portion 31, and a neck portion 33 connected to the shoulder portion 32.

[0018] The external shape of the body 31 is not particularly limited as long as it is hollow and can store the contents inside. In the figure, the body 31 is cylindrical, but it may be polygonal such as an elliptical cylinder, a square prism, or a triangular prism, a truncated cone such as a circular truncated cone or an elliptical truncated cone, a gourd shape, a Daruma shape, or the like.

[0019] The body 31 includes a bottom surface portion 31a, and the container 2 (container body 3) may be able to stand on its own at the bottom surface portion.

[0020] The contents stored in the body 31 (container 2) are not particularly limited, and examples include beverages such as alcohol, water, milk, and coffee, gel foods such as jelly, liquid or granular seasonings such as soy sauce and dashi, sanitary products such as shampoo and body soap, cosmetics, and medicines.

[0021] The shoulder portion 32 is hollow and connects the body portion 31 and the neck portion 33, and is formed so that the circumference becomes smaller toward the neck portion 33.

[0022] In this specification, "circumferential length" means the length in the circumferential direction of the outer surface (the length of the outer periphery in a plane perpendicular to the length direction of the body or neck 33). Note that, when the container body, cap seal, etc. are cylindrical, the "circumferential direction" is the rotation direction about the axis of the cylinder, and is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the cylinder. Also, the circumferential direction of the cap seal 5 in the state where it is attached to the container corresponds to the folded diameter direction (the width when folded flat) of the unshrunk cap seal before it is attached to the container.

[0023] Neck 33 is cylindrical and has a hollow portion. The hollow portion of neck 33 communicates with the storage space inside body 31. The circumference of neck 33 is smaller than the circumference of body 31. In other words, when neck 33 and body are cylindrical, the diameter of neck 33 is usually smaller than the diameter of body 31. The outer shape of the neck portion 33 may be cylindrical like the body portion 31, or may be a polygonal prism such as an elliptical cylinder, a square prism, or a triangular prism, a circular truncated cone, or an elliptical truncated cone.

[0024] The neck portion 33 has a protrusion 34 (rib) that protrudes outward (in the radial direction) at a position below the cap 4 with a predetermined distance 61 (length in the vertical direction) therebetween. The circumference of the outer surface of the protrusion 34 is longer than the circumference of the outer surface of the other parts (upper part 35 and lower part 36) of the neck part 33. When the neck part 33 is cylindrical, the protrusion 34 is a part (large diameter part) whose diameter is longer than the other parts of the neck part 33. That is, the outer surface of the protrusion 34 protrudes outward (in the radial direction) more than the outer surfaces of the other parts of the neck part 33. This results in a recess 35a (exposed part of the upper part 35 of the neck part 33) of a predetermined length being present between the cap 4 and the protrusion 34 in the vertical direction. The cap seal 5 is reduced in diameter following this recess 35a. The length (vertical length) of the recess 35a is preferably 2 mm or more, and more preferably 3 to 10 mm. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the predetermined interval 61 (the vertical distance between the cap 4 and the protrusion 34) is the same as the vertical length of the recess 35a.

[0025] In this way, since the protrusion 34 is provided at a position with a predetermined distance 61 below the cap 4, even if the cap 4 is removed and the cap seal 5 is broken and then recapped, it is difficult to return the upper region 53 of the cap seal 5 to a position close to the ring-shaped lower region 54. This is because the lower end of the upper region 53 of the cap seal 5 is easily caught due to the presence of the recess 35a between the cap 4 and the protrusion 34 in the vertical direction. Therefore, even if the cap seal is recapped after being broken once, the distance between the upper region 53 and the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 becomes wide, so that it is possible to reliably and easily detect whether the cap has been opened and to prevent tampering (see FIG. 5).

[0026] The protruding portion 34 extends in the circumferential direction. It is sufficient that the protruding portion 34 extends in at least a part of the circumferential direction, but it is preferable that the protruding portion 34 extends in the entire circumferential direction.

[0027] The height of the protrusion 34 (relative to the lower part 36 of the neck 33) (the distance in the protruding direction between the outer surface of the protrusion 34 and the outer surface of the lower part 36 of the neck 33) is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 mm or more, and more preferably 1.2 mm or more. If the height of the protruding portion 34 is too low, the stress applied to the easily breakable portion 51 when the cap 4 is forcibly removed will be small, and there is a risk that the easily breakable portion 51 will be difficult to break. Furthermore, as described below, in order to reduce the contact area between the cap seal 5 (around the lower end 5b) and the lower portion 36 of the neck portion 33 in a container 1 with a cap seal, it is preferable that the height of the protrusion 34 is within the above range. The upper limit of the height of the protrusion 34 is not particularly limited, but taking into consideration the functionality, compactness, material costs, and the like of the container 2, it is, for example, 8 mm or less, and may be 5 mm or less.

[0028] The outer shape of the protrusion 34 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape (ring shape) similar to the outer shape of the neck portion 33. Note that the outer shape of the protrusion 34 may be different from the outer shape of the neck portion 33. For example, when the outer shape of the neck portion 33 is cylindrical, the outer shape of the protrusion 34 may be a square prism shape.

[0029] The lower portion 36 of the neck portion 33 below the protruding portion 34 is preferably straight, tapered, or a combination of these, more preferably straight. In this embodiment, the neck portion 33 (each of the upper portion 35, the protruding portion 34, and the lower portion 36) of the container body 3 shown in the drawings is straight. Note that "straight" means a shape whose perimeter does not change in the direction in which it extends. The circumference of the lower portion 36 of the neck portion 33 is preferably smaller than the minimum inner diameter of the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 cut at the easily breakable portion 51 . When the lower portion 36 of the neck portion 33 has such a shape, the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 is likely to slide down after breaking.

[0030] It is also preferable that the lower end 5b of the cap seal 5 is located above the lower end of the neck portion 33 (the lower end 36b of the lower portion 36 of the neck portion 33) (see FIG. 3). In this case, when the easily breakable portion 51 of the cap seal 5 is broken, the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 can move (drop) to the position of the lower end 36b of the lower portion 36 of the neck portion 33. This widens the gap between the upper region 53 and the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5, making it possible to more reliably and easily detect whether the bottle has been opened (see FIG. 5).

[0031] In the illustrated container body 3, the neck 33 protrudes in the length direction of the body (in the axial direction of the body when the body is cylindrical) from above the shoulder 32. However, the shape of the container body 3 is not limited to this. For example, the neck portion 33 may be molded simultaneously and integrally with the shoulder portion 32 and the body portion 31. Alternatively, the neck portion 33, the shoulder portion 32, and the body portion 31 may be formed separately, and the container body may be formed by joining these together.

[0032] A cap 4 is attached to an upper portion 35, which is a portion above a protruding portion 34 of a neck portion 33, to close an opening 30 of a container body 3. The opening 30 can be opened by removing the cap 4. The opening 30 communicates with the storage space inside the body portion 31, the shoulder portion 32, and the neck portion 33. In addition, in order to close the opening 30 liquid-tight or airtight, the back side of the upper surface 41 of the cap 4 may be in close contact with the upper end of the upper portion 35 of the neck portion 33, or a sealing mechanism 43 (see Figure 6) or the like may be provided on the back side of the upper surface 41 of the cap 4.

[0033] The cap 4 of this embodiment is removably attached to the upper portion 35 of the neck portion 33 of the container body 3 by screw action. Therefore, a male screw is formed on the outer surface of the upper portion 35 to which the cap 4 is attached. However, the cap 4 may be, for example, a type that is internally fitted to the inside of the upper portion 35 (opening 30), a type that is externally fitted to the outside of the upper portion 35, or a type that can open and close the opening 30 via a hinge, provided that the cap 4 is attached to the upper portion 35 so as to be able to close the opening 30.

[0034] The outer shape of the cap 4 is usually a cylinder with a closed top, but may be a square prism with a closed top, etc. The perimeter of the cap 4 may be greater than or less than the perimeter of the protrusion 34, or may be approximately the same as the perimeter of the protrusion 34. The lower surface of the cap 4 and the upper surface of the protrusion 34 may be in contact with each other or may be slightly spaced apart from each other.

[0035] In this embodiment, the container 2 does not have a tamper ring (tamper evidence structure). In this case, the presence or absence of the container opening can be detected only by the cap seal, so the present invention is particularly useful. The tamper ring is a ring-shaped member that is fixed to the lower end of the cap 4 in a breakable manner by an operation such as unscrewing the cap 4, and is fixed to the neck portion 33 of the container body 3 in an unbreakable manner. However, the cap 4 may have a tamper-evident structure. The tamper-evident structure can more reliably guarantee that the cap 4 has not been opened.

[0036] The material of the container 2 is not particularly limited. The materials of the body 31, shoulder 32, and neck 33 of the container body 3, and the cap 4 may all be the same, or one or more parts selected from these may be the same material and the remaining parts may be a different material. Examples of materials for the container 2 include synthetic resin, glass, metal, and ceramic.

[0037] The container 2 may be entirely rigid or partially flexible. The container 2, which is hard overall, is formed, for example, with a container body 3 integrally made of hard synthetic resin, glass, metal, ceramic, etc., and a cap 4 made of hard synthetic resin, metal, etc., with the cap 4 attached to the integrally molded product constituting the container body 3. An example of the hard synthetic resin is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0038] In the partially soft container 2, for example, the body 31 and shoulder 32 are integrally formed using soft synthetic resin or a synthetic resin sheet, and the neck 33 is integrally formed using hard synthetic resin, glass, metal, etc., and a hard member constituting the neck 33 is fixed to the soft packaging material constituting the body 31 and shoulder 32, and further a cap 4 is attached. An example of such a partially soft container 2 is a so-called pouch with a spout.

[0039] <Container with cap seal> 1 to 3, a container 1 with a cap seal has a container 2 and a cylindrical cap seal 5 attached by heat shrinkage to the container 2. The cap seal 5 is attached by heat shrinkage to a head 21 (see FIG. 4) of the container 2. With reference to FIG. 4, the head 21 of the container 2 (container body 3 and cap 4) is a portion consisting of the cap 4, as well as an upper portion 35, a protruding portion 34, and an upper portion (seal portion 36a) of a neck portion 33 of the container body 3.

[0040] The cap seal 5 (unshrunk cap seal) is a heat-shrinkable cap seal. The cap seal 5 is attached to the container 2 along its outer shape by being heat-shrunk.

[0041] The container 1 with a cap seal can be obtained, for example, by the following method. The unshrunk cap seal is opened into a cylindrical shape, and the unshrunk cap seal is placed over the head 21 (see Figure 4) of the container 2 so that the easily breakable portion 51 of the unshrunk cap seal is positioned lower than the upper end of the protruding portion 34 of the container body 3, and then heated to a thermal shrinkage temperature. When heated, the unshrunk cap seal thermally shrinks, the upper end of the cap seal 5 bends along the peripheral end 41a of the upper surface 41 of the cap 4, and the portion of the cap seal 5 below the protrusion 34 shrinks toward the outer surface side of the lower portion 36 of the neck portion 33 of the container body 3. In this manner, a container 1 with a cap seal as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is obtained.

[0042] In addition, in the illustrated container with a cap seal, the cap seal 5 when attached includes, from the upper end 5a to the lower end 5b, a covering area of ​​the peripheral edge 41a of the upper surface 41 of the cap 4, a covering area of ​​the side surface 42 of the cap 4, a covering area of ​​the recess 35a between the cap 4 and the protrusion 34, a covering area of ​​the protrusion 34, and a covering area below the protrusion 34.

[0043] The upper end 5 a of the cap seal 5 is located on the upper surface or side surface of the cap 4 . The upper end 5a of the cap seal 5 is preferably located on the upper surface 41 of the cap 4 as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. The upper end of the cap seal 5 preferably covers the peripheral end 41a of the upper surface 41 of the cap 4 and is in close contact with the peripheral end 41a. That is, the covering area of ​​the peripheral end 41a of the upper surface 41 of the cap 4 is a region in which the cap seal 5 follows the upper surface 41 of the cap 4 and is smaller in diameter than the covering area of ​​the side surface 42 of the cap 4 and the side surface 42 of the cap 4. This covering area of ​​the peripheral end 41a of the upper surface 41 of the cap 4 has the effect of preventing the cap seal 5 from slipping downward. In addition, due to this covering area, when the cap 4 is removed, the cap seal 5 (the portion above the easily breakable portion 51) is pulled away from the container 2 together with the cap 4, so that the easily breakable portion 51 can be broken more reliably.

[0044] The width of the folded portion at the upper end of the cap seal 5 (the radial distance between the upper end 5a and the side of the cap 4) is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of sufficiently engaging the upper end of the cap seal 5 with the upper surface 41 of the cap 4, it is preferably 1 mm or more, and more preferably 1.5 mm or more.

[0045] In the figure, the upper end 5a of the cap seal 5 is entirely located within the upper surface 41 of the cap 4. Note that the upper end 5a of the cap seal 5 may entirely be located within the upper surface 41 of the cap 4, or a part of it may be located on the side surface 42 of the cap 4.

[0046] The lower end 5b of the cap seal 5 has a circumference smaller than that of the protruding portion 34. That is, in the cap seal 5, the covered area below the protruding portion 34 is an area that is smaller in diameter than the covered area of ​​the protruding portion 34 and the protruding portion 34. This area has the effect of preventing the cap seal 5 from shifting upward or being pulled out upward. In addition, when the cap 4 is removed, the easily breakable portion 51 breaks, thereby providing a tamper-proof function.

[0047] Furthermore, when the cap seal 5 is attached to the container 2, the circumference (diameter) of the area (lower area 54) between the easily breakable portion 51 and the lower end 5b is approximately the same as or smaller than the circumference (diameter) of the corresponding area of ​​the easily breakable portion 51.

[0048] Moreover, the perimeter (diameter) of the lower region 54 is approximately the same as or larger than the perimeter (diameter) of the lower portion 36 of the neck portion 33. This allows the lower region 54 to shift downward after the easily breakable portion 51 breaks. In the figure, the periphery of the lower end 5b of the cap seal 5 is in partial contact with the lower part 36 of the neck part 33. However, if the periphery of the lower end 5b of the cap seal 5 is smaller than the periphery of the outer peripheral surface of the protruding part 34, the periphery of the lower end 5b of the cap seal 5 may not be in contact at all with the lower part 36 of the neck part 33. If the periphery of the lower end 5b of the cap seal 5 is smaller than the periphery of the outer peripheral surface of the protruding part 34, the easily breakable part 51 is broken when the cap 4 is removed, thereby providing a tamper-proof function.

[0049] The covered area of ​​the recess 35a between the cap 4 and the protruding portion 34 (in FIG. 6, the covered area of ​​the recess 35a between the upper protruding portion 37 and the protruding portion 34) is an area with a smaller diameter than the covered area of ​​the cap 4 and the covered area of ​​the protruding portion 34. This makes it possible to suppress upward or downward displacement of the cap seal 5. Also, when the upper region 53 that has been torn at the easily breakable portion 51 is to be reinserted after the cap seal 5 has been pulled out, the upper region 53 can be prevented from moving downward from the protruding portion 34, so that a gap is formed between the upper region 53 and the lower region 54, making it easier to discover that the seal has been opened.

[0050] The lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 is preferably non-adhesively attached to the lower portion 36 of the neck 33 . In addition, the contact area between the cap seal 5 and the lower portion 36, which is the portion below the protruding portion 34 of the neck portion 33 of the container body 3, is preferably small, and is preferably 95% or less, more preferably 90% or less, and even more preferably 80% or less, of the area of ​​the portion below the protruding portion 34 of the cap seal 5. If there is a non-adhesive state in which the non-contact area exceeds 5% (for example, more than 5% and 90% or less), the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 is likely to fall downward after the cap seal 5 is broken. In particular, it is preferable that the upper end of the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 cut at the easily breakable portion 51 is not bonded. That is, it is preferable that the easily breakable portion 51 is in a portion covering the protruding portion 34 or in an area not in close contact with the lower portion 36. In addition, the smaller the contact area between the cap seal 5 and the lower portion 36 of the neck portion 33 of the container body 3, the more easily the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 falls downward. If the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 is prone to falling downward, the upper region 53 and the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 will be more reliably separated, making it possible to more reliably and easily detect whether the cap has been opened (see Figure 5).

[0051] The neck portion 33 may further have an upper protrusion 37 (see FIG. 6) that protrudes outward at a position above the protrusion 34 with a predetermined distance therebetween. There may be a gap between the upper protrusion 37 and the cap 4, or the upper protrusion and the cap 4 may be in contact with each other. By providing the protrusion 34 (rib), when manufacturing a container with a cap seal, the container 2 (container body 3) can be slid and transported with the protrusion 34 of the container 2 (container body 3) placed on a rail. Furthermore, when two protrusions (ribs), the (lower) protrusion 34 and the upper protrusion 37, are provided (see Figure 6), the container 2 (container body 3) can be transported even when upside down.

[0052] (Easy-to-break part) The cap seal 5 has an easy-to-break portion 51 extending in the circumferential direction below the upper end of the protruding portion 34, preferably below the lower end of the protruding portion 34. In the drawings, the easy-to-break portion 51 of the cap seal 5 is provided below the lower end of the protruding portion 34, but if it is provided below the upper end of the protruding portion 34, the effect of being able to reliably and easily determine that the container has been opened is achieved, similar to the embodiment shown in the drawings.

[0053] The easily breakable portion 51 is preferably designed so as not to break when the cap seal is attached by heat shrinkage, but to break when the cap 4 is opened.

[0054] Examples of the easily breakable portion 51 include a perforation line, a half-cut line, a partial cut line, etc. In the figure, the opening assist line 52 is a perforation line. In addition, in order to make it easier to break the easily breakable portion 51, a cut line or the like may be provided in a part of the easily breakable portion 51.

[0055] The perforation line is, for example, composed of a plurality of through holes formed intermittently. In other words, the perforation line is a line composed of through holes and non-through portions arranged alternately. The shape of one through hole is, for example, linear, circular, curved, etc., and is preferably linear. The length of one through hole (in the length direction of the perforation line) is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.3 to 1.5 mm, and preferably less than 0.5 to 1.5 mm. The length of one non-cut portion (in the length direction of the perforation line) is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm. In addition, from the viewpoint of ensuring that the perforation line does not break when the cap seal is thermally shrunk and attached, but breaks when the cap 4 is opened, the pitch of the perforation line (the ratio of "length of the through hole:length of the non-through portion" in the longitudinal direction of the perforation line) is preferably 1.0:0.2 to 1.0:1.0, for example, 1.0:0.5.

[0056] The half-cut line is a line formed by a cut that does not completely penetrate the label substrate in the thickness direction, but reaches partway through the thickness direction of the label substrate.

[0057] When the slits are provided, the length of the slits is, for example, 2 to 5 mm, preferably 2 to 4 mm. If the length of the slits is 5 mm or less, the slits are less likely to get caught when the mask is put on, and the problem of the slits accidentally opening wide when the mask is put on can be prevented. The cut line and the perforation may be used together. In this case, the perforation may extend from one end or both ends of the cut line. In this case, the dimensions of the cut line and the perforation may be, for example, as shown in the above example.

[0058] The easily breakable portion 51 does not necessarily need to reach the entire circumference of the cap seal 5, but it preferably has a circumferential length of 1 / 2 or more of the entire circumference, more preferably has a circumferential length of 2 / 3 or more of the entire circumference, and further preferably the circumferential length of the easily breakable portion reaches the entire circumference. The easily breakable portion 51 may be continuous or discontinuous in the circumferential direction.

[0059] The number of easy-to-break portions 51 may be one, or two or more may be disposed at different positions in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction of the body portion).

[0060] The easily breakable portion 51 of the cap seal 5 does not necessarily need to have the entire lower end 5b located below the upper end of the protruding portion 34, but it is preferable that the entire lower end 5b be located below the upper end of the protruding portion 34. In this case, the easily breakable portion 51 is more reliably broken when the cap 4 is removed.

[0061] When the easily breakable portion 51 breaks, the portion of the cap seal 5 below the easily breakable portion 51 (the lower region 54) becomes capable of moving downward. As a result, after the easy-to-break portion 51 breaks, the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 moves downward due to gravity. Then, when the cap seal is returned to its original position, the distance between the upper region 53 and the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 increases, so that the opening can be more reliably and easily detected by visual inspection or the like (see FIG. 5).

[0062] (Opening aid line) The cap seal 5 may further have an opening assisting line 52. The opening assisting line 52 is a treatment line formed on the cap seal 5 so that the cap seal 5 can be easily torn approximately along the line. The opening assisting line 52 may be a perforation line or a half-cut line similar to the easily-breakable portion 51. In the figure, the opening assisting line 52 is a perforation line. In order to make the opening assisting line 52 easier to break, a notch or the like may be provided near the upper end of the opening assisting line 52. The opening assisting line 52 is formed to extend in the axial direction of the cap seal (cylindrical body).

[0063] The cap seal 5 preferably has two opening assist lines 52 spaced a predetermined distance apart in the circumferential direction. In this case, for example, the part sandwiched between the two opening assisting lines 52 can be pinched with fingers and pulled outward and downward using this as the starting point for opening, thereby dividing the cap seal 5 into two along the two opening assisting lines 52, and the cap seal 5 can be easily removed from the container 2 and easily discarded.

[0064] The opening assisting line 52 is preferably formed from the upper end 5a to the lower end 5b of the cap seal 5. However, as long as the cap seal 5 can be easily torn roughly along the line, it may be formed on a part of the cap seal from the upper end to the lower end. When the opening assisting line 52 is formed from the upper end 5a to the lower end 5b of the cap seal 5, the cap seal 5 can be securely and easily torn from the upper end 5a to the lower end 5b by using the opening assisting line 52.

[0065] The circumferential distance between the two opening assisting lines 52 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 to 30 mm, more preferably 10 to 20 mm, and particularly preferably 12 to 16 mm. When the distance is small like this, the opening assisting line 52 can be torn down to the lower end without breaking the easy-to-break portion 51, and the lower region (ring-shaped portion) 54 of the cap seal 5 does not remain on the container, so that the entire cap seal 5 can be easily removed from the container at the start of normal use.

[0066] When a container with a cap seal is normally opened, even if the pair of opening assisting lines 52 is used to cut off the strip-shaped portion sandwiched between the pair of opening assisting lines 52 from the cap seal 5, the strip-shaped portion may be interrupted at the easy-to-break portion 51 for sealing assurance, and the lower region 54 of the cap seal 5 may remain on the container. This is because the cap seal is a film stretched in the circumferential direction and is therefore easily torn in the circumferential direction, and therefore the easy-to-break portion extending in the circumferential direction is generally easier to break than the opening assisting lines. In this case, in order to remove the entire cap seal 5 from the container when opening, at least two operations must be performed: first, the upper portion is cut and removed by the pair of opening assisting lines 52, and then the lower portion of the cap seal is cut. Therefore, it is extremely useful to be able to provide a container with a cap seal and a cap seal that allow the entire cap seal to be easily cut off and removed when opening by adjusting the distance between the two opening assisting lines as described above.

[0067] The opening assisting line 52 may extend parallel to the axial direction (direction perpendicular to the circumferential direction) or may extend at an angle to the axial direction.

[0068] <Modification of container with cap seal (pouch with spout)> A modified cap-sealed container 1 (pouch with a spout) of this embodiment shown in Fig. 6 has a spout 3a and a pouch body 3b. The spout 3a has a sealing flange 38 at its bottom. In the container body 3 composed of the spout 3a and the pouch body 3b, the upper surface of the flange 38 and the lower surface of the film forming the pouch body 3b are heat-sealed to be integrated.

[0069] The upper portion 35 (having an upper protruding portion 37), the protruding portion 34 and the lower portion 36 of the spout 3a correspond to the neck portion 33 in the container with a cap seal of the above embodiment.

[0070] The neck portion 33 has an upper protrusion 37 separate from the protrusion 34 (the lowermost protrusion) at a position spaced a predetermined distance above the protrusion 34 (below the cap 4 at the upper portion 35 and above the protrusion 34). In a spouted pouch as shown in FIG. 6, a recess 35a is formed between the upper protrusion 37 and the protrusion 34 (not between the cap 4 and the protrusion 34), and the cap seal 5 reduces in diameter in accordance with this recess 35a.

[0071] In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the length (vertical length) of the recess 35a is preferably 2 mm or more, and more preferably 3 to 10 mm, as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2. However, in this modification, the predetermined interval 61 (the vertical distance between the cap 4 and the protruding portion 34) is different from the length of the recess 35a, and therefore the predetermined interval 61 is the sum of the length of the recess 35a and the vertical length of the upper protruding portion 37. The predetermined distance between the protruding portion 34 and the upper protruding portion 37 is the same as the length of the recessed portion 35a.

[0072] In addition, in Figure 6, in addition to the protrusion 34, one upper protrusion 37 is provided below the cap 4 and above the protrusion 34 at the upper part 35 of the neck 33, but multiple upper protrusions 37 may be provided.

[0073] <Unshrunk Cap Seal> In this embodiment, the cap seal or unshrunk cap seal is a cylindrical cap seal that can be heat-shrinked circumferentially for covering a container including a container body 3 including a cylindrical neck portion 33 having an opening 30 and a cap 4 that closes the opening 30, spanning the container body and the cap. The neck portion 33 has a protrusion 34 that protrudes outward at a position below the cap 4 and spaced a predetermined distance therefrom.

[0074] The unshrunk cap seal has an easily breakable portion 51 extending circumferentially at a position below the upper end of the protrusion 34 when the cap seal 5 is heat-shrunk and attached to the container, so that the upper end 5a of the cap seal 5 is located on the upper surface 41 of the cap 4 and the lower end 5b of the cap seal 5 is located below the protrusion 34 of the neck 33.

[0075] The cap seal (unshrunk cap seal) before being heat-shrunk and attached to the container 2 is, for example, a cylindrical body containing a heat-shrinkable film as a base material. The unshrunk cap seal is opened into a cylindrical shape when attached to the container 2, but may be folded flat during normal transportation and storage. In a practical manufacturing process, the unshrunk cap seal is provided in the form of a continuous body in which a plurality of unshrunk cap seals are continuously connected and folded flat, and the continuous body is appropriately cut to obtain individual unshrunk cap seals.

[0076] A heat shrinkable film is a film that shrinks in the direction of heat shrinkage when heated to a heat shrinkage temperature. The heat shrinkage temperature is, for example, 60 to 120°C. (Note that 60 to 120°C means "60°C or higher and 120°C or lower". The same applies below.) Examples of the heat-shrinkable film include a heat-shrinkable synthetic resin film, a nonwoven fabric, a foamed resin film, and a laminated film thereof. The laminated film may be a laminate of a layer that does not have heat-shrinkability and a layer that has heat-shrinkability, provided that the laminate as a whole has heat-shrinkability. Preferably, a synthetic resin film is used as the heat-shrinkable film. The material of the synthetic resin film is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include one or a mixture of two or more selected from the following thermoplastic resins: polyester-based resins such as polyethylene terephthalate and polylactic acid; olefin-based resins such as polypropylene and cyclic olefin; styrene-based resins such as polystyrene and styrene-butadiene copolymer; polyamide-based resins; and vinyl chloride-based resins. In particular, polyethylene terephthalate, which generates a large shrinkage stress when it shrinks, is preferably used. The heat-shrinkable synthetic resin film may be composed of one resin layer, or may be composed of a plurality of different resin layers of the same or different types. The thickness of the heat shrinkable film is not particularly limited and is, for example, 20 μm to 100 μm, and preferably 30 μm to 80 μm.

[0077] As the heat-shrinkable film, a film that mainly heat-shrinks in at least a first direction and may be used that heat-shrinks or heat-extends slightly in a second direction. The first direction means one direction in the plane of the film, and the second direction means a direction perpendicular to the first direction in the plane of the film. As such a heat-shrinkable film, a uniaxially stretched or biaxially stretched film that is stretched mainly in the first direction can be used. The heat shrinkage rate of the heat shrinkable film in the first direction (heat shrinkage direction) is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20% or more, more preferably 30% or more, and even more preferably 40% or more. The higher the heat shrinkage rate in the first direction, the more preferable it is, but there is a natural limit to this, so the heat shrinkage rate in the first direction is theoretically less than 100%. The heat shrinkable film is preferably a film that is less susceptible to thermal change in the second direction. For example, the heat shrinkage rate of the heat shrinkable film in the second direction is, for example, -3 to 15%, and preferably 1 to 10%. A negative value for the heat shrinkage rate means thermal elongation. The thermal shrinkage rate is the ratio of the length of the film before heating (original length) to the length of the film after the test piece is immersed in 90°C warm water for 10 seconds (length after immersion), and can be calculated by substituting the following formula. Heat shrinkage rate (%) = [{(original length in the first or second direction) - (length after immersion in the first or second direction)} / (original length in the first or second direction)] x 100.

[0078] The unshrunk cap seal has a heat shrinkable film as described above, and may further have a printed layer, if necessary. Examples of the printed layer include a design printed layer that shows a design, a plain, solid color printed layer that is provided for the purpose of highlighting a design, a light-shielding layer that imparts light-shielding properties to the heat-shrinkable film, a slipping layer that contains a slipping component, a protective layer that protects the surface of the heat-shrinkable film, etc. These printed layers can be used alone or in combination of two or more types. The print layer may be provided on either the front side or the back side of the heat-shrinkable film.

[0079] The unshrunk cap seal can be constructed by rolling a sheet-like unshrunk cap seal into a cylindrical shape so that the first direction (heat shrinkage direction) of the heat shrinkable film is the circumferential direction, and overlapping and gluing both side ends of the unshrunk cap seal.

[0080] The circumference (folded diameter) of the unshrunk cap seal is, for example, 1 to 1.5 times the maximum circumference of the head 21 of the container 2 (for example, the circumference of the cap 4 or the protrusion 34), and preferably more than 1 time and not more than 1.3 times.

[0081] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified in various ways. Two or more embodiments selected from the various embodiments described above may be combined as appropriate, or at least one configuration (a portion of a configuration) selected from the various embodiments described above may be replaced with a portion of a configuration of another embodiment.

[0082] (summary) The above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated below.

[0083] (1) A container including a container body including a cylindrical neck portion having an opening, and a cap for closing the opening; a cylindrical cap seal that spans the container body and the cap to cover the container; Equipped with The neck portion has a protrusion protruding outwardly at a position spaced a predetermined distance below the cap, an upper end of the cap seal is located on an upper surface or a side surface of the cap, and a lower end of the cap seal has a perimeter that is smaller than a perimeter of the protrusion; The cap seal has an easy-to-break portion extending in a circumferential direction below an upper end of the protruding portion. Container with cap seal.

[0084] (2) The lower portion of the neck portion below the protruding portion is a straight-body shape, a tapered shape tapering downward, or a combination of these shapes; A container with a cap seal as described in (1), wherein the lower end of the cap seal is located above the lower end of the neck portion.

[0085] (3) A container with a cap seal as described in (1) or (2), in which the contact area between the cap seal and the lower part of the neck of the container body, which is the part below the protruding portion, is 95% or less of the area of ​​the part of the cap seal below the protruding portion.

[0086] (4) A container with a cap seal according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the neck portion further has an upper protrusion protruding outward at a position spaced a predetermined distance above the protrusion.

[0087] (5) The cap seal further has two opening assist lines extending from the upper end of the cap seal, The container with a cap seal according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the distance between the two opening assisting lines is 5 to 30 mm. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1 Container with cap seal 2 containers 21 Head 3 Container body 3a Spout 3b Pouch body 30 aperture 31 Torso 31a bottom 32 Shoulder 33 Neck 34 Protrusion 35 Top 35a Recess 36 Lower 36a Seal part 36b bottom end 37 Upper protrusion 38 Flange 4 Cap 41 Top surface 41a Peripheral end 42 Side 43 Sealing mechanism 5 Cap seal 5a top end 5b Bottom edge 51 Easy to break part 52 Opening aid line 53 Upper area 54 Lower area 61 Predetermined interval

Claims

1. A container including a container body including a cylindrical neck portion having an opening, and a cap for closing the opening; a cylindrical cap seal that spans the container body and the cap to cover the container; Equipped with The neck portion has a protrusion protruding outwardly at a position spaced a predetermined distance below the cap, an upper end of the cap seal is located on an upper surface or a side surface of the cap, and a lower end of the cap seal has a perimeter that is smaller than a perimeter of the protrusion; The cap seal has an easy-to-break portion extending in a circumferential direction below an upper end of the protruding portion. Container with cap seal.

2. A lower portion of the neck portion below the protruding portion has a straight barrel shape, a tapered shape tapering downward, or a combination thereof, 2. The container with a cap seal according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the cap seal is located above a lower end of the neck portion.

3. 2. A container with a cap seal as described in claim 1, wherein the contact area between the cap seal and a lower portion of the neck of the container body which is below the protruding portion is 95% or less of the area of ​​the cap seal below the protruding portion.

4. 2. The container with a cap seal according to claim 1, wherein the neck further has an upper protrusion protruding outward at a position spaced a predetermined distance above the protrusion.

5. The cap seal further has two opening assist lines extending from an upper end of the cap seal, 2. The container with a cap seal according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the two opening assisting lines is 5 to 30 mm.

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