Cap
The cap design addresses the issue of impact-induced damage and sealing performance loss by incorporating a shock-absorbing portion around the pouring cylinder, ensuring effective absorption of impacts and maintenance of sealing integrity.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023178008
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-16
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-28
AI Technical Summary
Conventional caps with pouring cylinders can suffer damage and reduced sealing performance when subjected to impacts, such as when the lid is dropped in a closed state, due to the transmission of force through the seals.
The cap design incorporates a shock-absorbing portion around the pouring cylinder that can deform axially to absorb impacts, maintaining the seals in close contact and preventing damage to the pouring cylinder.
This design effectively prevents damage to the pouring cylinder and maintains good sealing performance between the pouring cylinder and the lid even under impact conditions.
Smart Images

Figure 2025068242000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a cap having a cap body that is attached to a container, a pouring tube provided in the cap body, and a lid that opens and closes the pouring tube. [Background technology]
[0002] Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7, this type of cap has a cap body 103 attached to a container 102, a dispensing tube 104 for dispensing a liquid (e.g., a beverage) contained inside the container 102, and a lid 105 for opening and closing the dispensing tube 104.
[0003] The pouring tube 104 is provided on the cap body 103. The lid 105 can be attached to and detached from the pouring tube 104 via a screw 106. A top surface 107 is formed over the entire circumference at the tip of the pouring tube 104. A contact surface 108 is formed over the entire circumference on the inside of the lid 105.
[0004] In the closed state, the lid 105 is attached to the pouring barrel 104, and the contact surface 108 of the lid 105 is in surface contact with the top surface 107 of the pouring barrel 104. This creates a seal between the tip of the pouring barrel 104 and the lid 105. The above-mentioned cap 101 is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2016-69083 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] However, in the above conventional type, if the container 102 is accidentally dropped with the cap 101 in the closed state, the impact of the drop acts on the lid 105, and this impact is transmitted from the lid 105 to the pouring tube 104 via the contact surface 108 and the top surface 107, which are in surface contact, and there is a risk that the pouring tube 104 will be damaged or the tip of the pouring tube 104 will be distorted, decreasing the sealing performance between the tip of the pouring tube 104 and the lid 105. Furthermore, there is a risk that the lid 105 will loosen in the opening direction due to the impact of the drop.
[0007] Furthermore, the cap 101 shown in FIG. 7 is a screw-type cap. However, in the case of a hinge-type cap in which the lid is connected to the cap body via a hinge, there is a risk that the lid may inadvertently open from the closed state due to the impact of being dropped.
[0008] The present invention aims to provide a cap that can prevent damage to the pouring tube and maintain good sealing performance between the tip of the pouring tube and the lid even when the lid is subjected to an impact, for example when dropped, in the closed state. [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the first invention provides a cap having a cap body attached to a container, a pouring tube for pouring out a fluid contained inside the container, and a lid for opening and closing the pouring tube, The spout is provided on the cap body. A first seal portion is formed at the tip of the injection tube, A second seal is formed on the inside of the lid, In the closed state, the second seal part of the closed lid is in close contact with the first seal part to seal the tip of the pouring tube and the lid, A shock absorbing section that is deformable in the axial direction of the pouring tube is provided around the outer periphery of the base of the pouring tube.
[0010] According to this, when the lid is dropped or otherwise subjected to an impact while in the closed state, the impact transmitted from the lid to the pouring tube via the tightly contacting first and second seal parts is absorbed by the impact absorbing part. This prevents damage to the pouring tube, and maintains a state in which the second seal part is in tight contact with the first seal part, maintaining good sealing performance between the tip of the pouring tube and the lid.
[0011] In the cap according to the second aspect of the present invention, the cap body has a partition wall that separates the inside of the container from the outside of the pouring tube, The outlet tube is installed upright on the bulkhead, The shock absorbing portion is provided in the partition wall.
[0012] In the cap according to the third invention, the impact absorbing portion has a deformable thin-walled portion whose longitudinal cross-sectional shape is bent in the axial direction of the pouring cylinder. According to this, the thin-walled portion is deformed, and the impact transmitted from the lid to the pouring tube is absorbed by the impact absorbing portion.
[0013] The cap in the fourth aspect of the present invention has a sealing protrusion on the inside of the lid, In the closed state, the sealing protrusion of the closed lid is inserted into the interior of the pouring tube from the tip opening of the pouring tube, and the outer periphery of the sealing protrusion is in close contact with the inner periphery of the tip of the pouring tube.
[0014] According to this, in the closed state, the second seal portion of the closed lid is in tight contact with the first seal portion of the dispensing tube, and the outer periphery of the sealing protrusion of the lid is in tight contact with the inner periphery of the tip of the dispensing tube, thereby reliably sealing between the tip of the dispensing tube and the lid.
[0015] In the cap of the fifth invention, the pouring tube has a tube body and an annular extension piece extending radially inward from a tip end of the tube body toward a base end of the pouring tube, A gap is formed between the inner periphery of the tube body and the outer periphery of the extension piece, In the closed state, the sealing projection of the closed lid is inserted into the interior of the pouring tube from the tip opening of the pouring tube, and the outer periphery of the sealing projection comes into close contact with the inner periphery of the extension piece.
[0016] According to this, when in the closed state, the second seal portion of the closed lid is in tight contact with the first seal portion of the spout tube, and the outer periphery of the sealing protrusion of the lid is in tight contact with the inner periphery of the extension piece of the spout tube, thereby ensuring a seal between the tip of the spout tube and the lid.
[0017] In addition, since a gap is formed between the inner circumference of the tube body of the pouring tube and the outer circumference of the extension piece, the extension piece is easily deformed outward in the radial direction of the pouring tube. Therefore, when closing the lid to plug the tube, the force required to insert the sealing protrusion from the tip opening of the pouring tube into the inside of the pouring tube (hereinafter referred to as the plugging force) is reduced. This makes it possible to prevent the shock absorbing part from being inadvertently deformed by the plugging force, and the plug is closed in a state where the outer circumference of the sealing protrusion of the lid and the inner circumference of the extension piece of the pouring tube are in sufficient contact with each other.
[0018] In addition, when the lid is opened to open the bottle, the extension piece easily deforms radially outward from the pouring tube, reducing frictional resistance and reducing the force required to remove the sealing protrusion from the inside to the outside of the pouring tube. This allows the lid to be opened easily and smoothly.
[0019] The cap according to the sixth aspect of the present invention has a protrusion on the inside of the lid and on the outer periphery of the base of the sealing protrusion, In the closed state, the tip of the pouring tube is sandwiched between the sealing protrusion and the protrusion of the closed lid, The second seal portion is formed between the sealing protrusion and the protrusion.
[0020] According to this, in the capped state, the tip of the pouring tube is sandwiched between the sealing protrusion and the protrusion of the lid, so that the position of the tip of the pouring tube is fixed in the radial direction relative to the lid. As a result, if the lid is subjected to an impact due to being dropped or the like in the capped state, the position of the tip of the pouring tube can be prevented from shifting in the radial direction relative to the lid, and therefore the state in which the second seal portion is in close contact with the first seal portion is reliably maintained, and good sealing performance is maintained between the tip of the pouring tube and the lid.
[0021] In the cap according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the lid is connected to the cap body via a hinge.
[0022] According to this, when the lid is dropped or otherwise subjected to an impact while in the closed state, the impact transmitted from the lid to the pouring tube via the tightly fitted first and second seals is absorbed by the impact absorbing part, making it possible to prevent the lid from accidentally opening from the closed state due to an impact when dropped.
[0023] In the cap of the eighth invention, when in a closed state, the closed lid presses the pouring tube from the tip opening toward the base, and a restoring force in the opposite direction to the pressing direction is applied to the pouring tube against the pressing force.
[0024] As a result, in the closed state, a restoring force acts on the pouring tube, increasing the contact surface pressure between the tightly fitted first seal portion and second seal portion, thereby improving the sealing performance between the tip of the pouring tube and the lid. Effect of the Invention
[0025] As described above, according to the present invention, even if the lid is subjected to an impact when dropped, for example, in the closed state, the spouting tube is prevented from being damaged, and the sealing performance between the tip of the spouting tube and the lid can be well maintained. In addition, if the cap is a hinge type, the lid can be prevented from accidentally opening from the closed state due to an impact when dropped. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cap according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing an opened state. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the cap in the opened state. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cap in the closed state. [Diagram 5]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cap, showing the state when the lid is slightly opened from the closed state. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a cap according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing a closed state. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional cap. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (First embodiment)
[0028] In the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a hinged cap attached to a mouth 3 of a container 2. Here, an axial direction 6 of the cap 1 is defined as an up-down direction, a direction perpendicular to an axial center 7 of the cap 1 is defined as a radial direction 8, and a circumferential direction about the axial center 7 of the cap 1 is defined as a circumferential direction 9.
[0029] The cap 1 has a cap body 11 attached to the mouth 3 of the container 2, a dispensing tube 13 for dispensing a liquid seasoning such as soy sauce (an example of a fluid) contained inside the container 2, and a lid 14 for opening and closing the dispensing tube 13. The lid 14 is connected to the cap body 11 via a hinge 15.
[0030] The cap body 11 has a pouring tube 13 and a seat 16 that is fitted into the mouth 3 of the container 2. The seat 16 has an outer tube 18, an inner tube 19, and a partition wall 20 that separates the inside of the container 2 from the outside of the pouring tube 13.
[0031] The partition wall 20 is formed in a disk shape in a plan view, and has a horizontal shape perpendicular to the axis 7 of the cap 1 in the open state with the lid 14 open, as shown in Fig. 1. The outer tube 18 and the inner tube 19 extend downward from the outer peripheral edge of the partition wall 20. A mounting groove 21 is formed around the entire circumference between the outer tube 18 and the inner tube 19. The mounting groove 21 is a groove that is open at the bottom and closed at the top by the partition wall 20. The cap body 11 is attached to the container 2 by fitting the mouth portion 3 into the mounting groove 21.
[0032] An upwardly projecting protrusion 23 is formed over the entire periphery on the outer periphery of the partition wall 20. A recess 24 recessed inwardly in the radial direction 8 is formed over the entire periphery of the outer periphery of the protrusion 23.
[0033] The pouring tube 13 has a cylindrical tube body 26 erected on the partition wall 20, and an annular extension piece 28 extending from the tip of the tube body 26 inward in the radial direction 8 toward the base part 27 of the pouring tube 13 (i.e., downward). The extension piece 28 has a pointed tip (lower end) and has a cross-sectional shape that gradually becomes thinner toward the tip. A gap 29 is formed over the entire circumference between the inner circumference of the tube body 26 and the outer circumference of the extension piece 28. The presence of the gap 29 allows the extension piece 28 to elastically deform in the radial direction 8.
[0034] At the tip of the pouring barrel 13, a first seal surface 33 (an example of a first seal portion) is formed over the entire circumference.
[0035] An axis 32 of the pouring tube 13 is offset from an axis 7 of the cap 1 toward the side farther from the hinge 15. A shock absorbing portion 35 that is elastically deformable in an axis direction 34 (up and down direction) of the pouring tube 13 is provided around the entire outer periphery of the base portion 27 of the pouring tube 13.
[0036] The shock absorbing portion 35 is provided on the partition wall 20, and is arranged concentrically about the axial center 32 of the pouring tube 13. The shock absorbing portion 35 has a thin-walled portion 36 whose vertical cross-sectional shape is curved in a U-shape in the axial direction 34 of the pouring tube 13, over the entire circumference. The thin-walled portion 36 is formed thinner than the thickness of the surrounding partition wall 20, and is elastically deformable in the axial direction 34 of the pouring tube 13 (up and down direction).
[0037] 4, the lid 14 has a circular top plate portion 41, a cylindrical skirt portion 42 hanging down from the outer periphery of the top plate portion 41, a cylindrical intermediate tube 43, a cylindrical sealing tube 44 (an example of a sealing protrusion), an annular protrusion portion 45, and a second sealing surface 46 (an example of a second sealing portion). The intermediate tube 43, the sealing tube 44, and the protrusion portion 45 are each provided on the inside of the lid 14 and protrude downward from the top plate portion 41.
[0038] As shown in Fig. 1, a convex portion 47 that protrudes inward in the radial direction 8 is formed around the entire inner circumference of the opening edge of the skirt portion 42. As shown in Fig. 4, the intermediate tube 43 is provided on the top plate portion 41 and is arranged concentrically about the axis 7 of the cap 1.
[0039] In the closed state shown in Figure 4, the convex portion 47 of the skirt portion 42 of the closed lid 14 fits into the concave portion 24 of the protruding piece 23 of the cap body 11, and the tip of the intermediate tube 43 of the lid 14 abuts against the upper surface of the partition wall 20 of the cap body 11.
[0040] The sealing cylinder 44 and the protrusion 45 are provided on the top plate portion 41 and are arranged concentrically about the axis 32 of the pouring cylinder 13. The protrusion 45 is formed around the entire outer periphery of the base portion of the sealing cylinder 44. The second seal surface 46 constitutes a part of the inner surface (back surface) of the top plate portion 41 and is formed between the sealing cylinder 44 and the protrusion 45.
[0041] In addition, in the closed state, the sealing tube 44 of the closed lid 14 is inserted into the inside of the pouring tube 13 from the tip opening of the pouring tube 13, and the outer periphery of the sealing tube 44 comes into close contact with the inner periphery of the extension piece 28, the tip of the pouring tube 13 is sandwiched between the sealing tube 44 and the protrusion 45, and the second seal surface 46 comes into close contact with the first seal surface 33 over the entire circumference. At this time, the outer periphery of the tip of the pouring tube 13 comes into close contact with the inner periphery of the protrusion 45 over the entire circumference.
[0042] Furthermore, in the closed state, the closed lid 14 presses the dispensing tube 13 from the tip opening toward the base 27 (downward), the partition 20 deforms in the pressing direction 50 around the axis 32 of the dispensing tube 13, and a restoring force F in the direction opposite to the pressing direction 50 is applied to the dispensing tube 13 against the pressing force. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the lid 14 is opened and the bottle is opened, the partition 20 returns to its original shape before deformation (that is, a horizontal shape perpendicular to the axis 7 of the cap 1) due to the restoring force F. The operation of the above configuration will now be described.
[0043] As shown in Figure 4, when the lid 14 is closed and capped, the sealing tube 44 of the lid 14 is inserted into the inside of the pouring tube 13 from the tip opening of the pouring tube 13, and the second sealing surface 46 of the lid 14 is in close contact with the first sealing surface 33 of the pouring tube 13 around its entire circumference, thereby sealing between the tip of the pouring tube 13 and the lid 14.
[0044] In such a closed state, the restoring force F acts on the pouring tube 13, so the contact surface pressure between the tightly contacting first seal surface 33 and second seal surface 46 increases, improving the sealing performance between the tip of the pouring tube 13 and the lid 14. At this time, the convex portion 47 of the lid 14 fits into the concave portion 24 of the cap body 11, so even if the restoring force F acts on the pouring tube 13 and the lid 14 is pushed in the opening direction 51, the lid 14 will not inadvertently open.
[0045] If the container 2 is accidentally dropped or the like while in the capped state and the impact from the drop acts on the lid 14, the impact transmitted from the lid 14 to the pouring tube 13 via the tightly fitted first sealing surface 33 and second sealing surface 46 is absorbed by the impact absorbing portion 35 as the thin-walled portion 36 elastically deforms in the axial direction 34.
[0046] This prevents damage to the pouring tube 13 and prevents the lid 14 from accidentally opening from the closed state (see FIG. 4) due to the impact of being dropped. Also, the second seal surface 46 is kept in close contact with the first seal surface 33, and good sealing performance is maintained between the tip of the pouring tube 13 and the lid 14.
[0047] In addition, in the closed state, in addition to the seal provided by the first sealing surface 33 and the second sealing surface 46, the outer periphery of the sealing tube 44 of the lid 14 is in close contact with the entire inner periphery of the extension piece 28 of the pouring tube 13, thereby providing an even more reliable seal between the tip of the pouring tube 13 and the lid 14.
[0048] Furthermore, in the closed state, the tip of the pouring tube 13 is sandwiched between the sealing tube 44 and the protrusion 45 of the lid 14, so that the position of the tip of the pouring tube 13 is fixed in the radial direction 8 relative to the lid 14. This prevents the position of the tip of the pouring tube 13 from shifting in the radial direction 8 relative to the lid 14 when an impact such as a drop acts on the lid 14. This reliably maintains the state in which the second seal surface 46 is in close contact with the first seal surface 33, and maintains good sealing performance between the tip of the pouring tube 13 and the lid 14.
[0049] In addition, since a gap 29 is formed between the inner circumference of the tube body 26 of the pouring tube 13 and the outer circumference of the extension piece 28, the extension piece 28 is easily deformed outward in the radial direction of the pouring tube 13. Therefore, when closing the lid 14 to plug the tube, the force required to insert the sealing tube 44 into the inside of the pouring tube 13 from the tip opening of the pouring tube 13 (hereinafter referred to as plugging force) is reduced. This makes it possible to prevent the thin-walled portion 36 of the impact absorbing portion 35 from being inadvertently deformed by the plugging force, and the tube is plugged in a state in which the outer circumference of the sealing tube 44 and the inner circumference of the extension piece 28 of the pouring tube 13 are in sufficient close contact with each other.
[0050] Furthermore, if the above-mentioned plugging force increases without being reduced, the thin-walled portion 36 of the impact absorbing portion 35 may be inadvertently deformed by the plugging force before the outer periphery of the sealing tube 44 and the inner periphery of the extension piece 28 of the pouring tube 13 come into complete contact with each other, and there is a risk that the sealing tube 44 will be plugged with insufficient contact between the outer periphery of the sealing tube 44 and the inner periphery of the extension piece 28 of the pouring tube 13.
[0051] 5, when the lid 14 is rotated from the closed state in the opening direction 51 to open it, the extension piece 28 easily deforms outward in the radial direction of the pouring tube 13, thereby reducing frictional resistance and reducing the force required to remove the sealing tube 44 from the inside to the outside of the pouring tube 13. This allows the lid 14 to be opened easily and smoothly. (Second embodiment)
[0052] The cap 1 of the first embodiment described above is configured so that, in the closed state, as shown in Figure 4, the lid 14 presses against the dispensing tube 13 and the partition 20 deforms in the pressing direction 50, thereby applying a restoring force F to the dispensing tube 13. However, in the second embodiment described below, as shown in Figure 6, in the closed state, the partition 20 does not deform in the pressing direction 50 and is maintained in a horizontal shape perpendicular to the axis 7 of the cap 1.
[0053] According to this, in the closed state, the restoring force F as in the first embodiment does not act on the dispensing tube 13, so the contact surface pressure between the first sealing surface 33 and the second sealing surface 46 is slightly smaller than in the first embodiment, but apart from this, the same action and effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0054] In each of the above-described embodiments, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 6, the thin-walled portion 36 is curved in a U-shape, but it may be curved upside down into an inverted U-shape. Also, the thin-walled portion 36 has one curved portion curved in a U-shape, but it may have multiple continuous curved portions. Furthermore, although the thin-walled portion 36 is curved in a U-shape, it is not limited to a U-shape, and it may be bent, for example, into a V-shape, a W-shape, an inverted V-shape, an inverted W-shape, or the like.
[0055] In each of the above-described embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, a cylindrical sealing tube 44 is provided as an example of a sealing protrusion, but the present invention is not limited to such a tube and may be, for example, a columnar protrusion.
[0056] In each of the above-described embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the shock absorbing portion 35 is provided around the entire outer periphery of the base portion 27 of the pouring tube 13, but it may be provided partially in the circumferential direction rather than around the entire circumference. In each of the above-described embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the protrusion 45 is formed in an annular shape, but may be provided partially in the circumferential direction instead of in an annular shape.
[0057] In each of the above embodiments, as shown in Fig. 1, a hinged cap 1 in which the lid 14 is connected to the cap body 11 via the hinge 15 has been exemplified, but instead of the hinge 15, a screw-type cap may be used in which either a male thread or a female thread is formed on the cap body 11 and the other thread is formed on the lid 14. In the case of a screw-type cap, the pouring tube 13, the shock absorbing part 35, the sealing tube 44, and the protrusion 45 are each arranged concentrically with the axis 7 of the cap 1.
[0058] According to this, the cap 1 can be closed by turning the lid 14 in the closing direction to screw the male thread into the female thread and tightening the lid 14 to the cap body 11. Even if the container 2 is accidentally dropped in the closed state, the impact of the drop is absorbed by the impact absorbing part 35, so that the lid 14 can be prevented from loosening in the opening direction. [Explanation of symbols]
[0059] 1 Cap 2 containers 11 Cap body 13 Pour tube 14 Lid 15 Hinge 20 Bulkhead 26 Cylinder body 27 Base 28 Extension piece 29 Cavity 33 First seal surface (first seal portion) 34 Axial direction 35 Shock absorbing part 36 Thin section 44 Sealing cylinder (sealing protrusion) 45 Protrusion 46 Second seal surface (second seal portion) 50 Pressing direction F Restoring force
Claims
1. A cap having a cap body attached to a container, a pouring tube for pouring out a fluid contained inside the container, and a lid for opening and closing the pouring tube, The spout is provided on the cap body. A first seal portion is formed at the tip of the injection tube, A second seal is formed on the inside of the lid, In the closed state, the second seal part of the closed lid is in close contact with the first seal part to seal the tip of the pouring tube and the lid, A cap characterized in that a shock absorbing part capable of deforming in the axial direction of the pouring tube is provided around the outer periphery of the base of the pouring tube.
2. The cap body has a partition wall that separates the inside of the container from the outside of the pouring tube, The outlet tube is installed upright on the bulkhead, 2. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing portion is provided on the partition wall.
3. 2. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the impact absorbing portion has a deformable thin-walled portion whose longitudinal cross-sectional shape is curved in the axial direction of the pouring tube.
4. A sealing protrusion is provided on the inside of the lid, 2. The cap according to claim 1, wherein, in a closed state, the sealing protrusion of the closed lid is inserted into the inside of the pouring tube from the tip opening of the pouring tube, and the outer periphery of the sealing protrusion is in tight contact with the inner periphery of the tip of the pouring tube.
5. The pouring tube has a tube body and an annular extension piece extending radially inward from a tip of the tube body toward a base of the pouring tube, A gap is formed between the inner periphery of the tube body and the outer periphery of the extension piece, 5. The cap according to claim 4, wherein in a closed state, the sealing protrusion of the closed lid is inserted into the interior of the pouring tube from the tip opening of the pouring tube, and the outer periphery of the sealing protrusion is in close contact with the inner periphery of the extension piece.
6. A protrusion is provided on the inside of the lid and around the outside of the base of the sealing protrusion, In the closed state, the tip of the pouring tube is sandwiched between the sealing protrusion and the protrusion of the closed lid, 5. The cap according to claim 4, wherein the second seal portion is formed between the sealing protrusion and the protruding portion.
7. 2. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the lid is connected to the cap body via a hinge.
8. 2. The cap according to claim 1, wherein, in a closed state, the closed lid presses the pouring tube from the tip opening toward the base, and a restoring force in the opposite direction to the pressing direction is applied to the pouring tube against the pressing force.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Pouring port plug and packaging container
JP2016069083A