container

Abstract

To provide a container which is excellent in operability when a content is discharged.SOLUTION: A container 1 of the invention includes: a container body 10 which has a mouth neck part 12 and a flexible body part 11 and houses a content; and a cap 2 attached to the mouth neck part 12. The cap 2 includes: a cap body 3 including an attachment part 38 to be attached to the mouth neck part 12 and a discharge hole 36 of the content; and a lid body 4 which is connected to the cap body 3 through a hinge part 5 and covers the discharge hole 36 in a lid closed state. In a plan view of the cap 2, the discharge hole 36 has a shape elongated in one direction and a longitudinal direction LD of the discharge hole 36 intersects with a rotation axis direction HD of the hinge part 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container including a container body and a cap.

Background Art

[0002] Liquid substances such as facial wash are stored and distributed in a container having a container body with a storage space and a discharge hole communicating with the storage space. As such a container, there is known one including a cap for sealing the mouth portion of the container, and the cap is provided with a discharge hole that is long in one direction. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a hinge cap including a closure body having a spout with an elongated opening as a member for sealing the opening of the container, and a lid body having a spout cover for covering the spout.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When discharging the contents in the container through a discharge hole that is long in one direction as in the cap disclosed in Patent Document 1, the contents can be applied over a wide area. However, due to the contents being applied over a wide area, the contents may be applied to areas other than the desired area. The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in such operability.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention relates to providing a container having excellent operability when discharging the contents.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention relates to a container having a neck portion and a flexible body portion and accommodating contents, and a cap attached to the neck portion. As one embodiment, the cap preferably has a cap body having an attachment portion to the neck portion and a discharge hole for the contents, and a lid body connected to the cap body via a hinge portion and covering the discharge hole in a closed state. As one embodiment, in a plan view of the cap, it is preferable that the discharge hole has a shape elongated in one direction and the longitudinal direction of the discharge hole intersects the rotation axis direction of the hinge portion.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the container of the present invention, the operability when discharging the contents is excellent.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings based on its preferred embodiments. Figure 1 shows a container 1 which is an embodiment of the container of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the container 1 of the present embodiment is a tube container for accommodating contents (not shown), and includes a container body 10 formed of a cylindrical tube made of synthetic resin, and a cap 2 attached to the container body 10. The container body 10 has a flexible body portion 11 (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "body portion 11") having an accommodation space 10S for the contents accommodated in the container 1. The body portion 11 is a cylindrical body that is long in one direction, and one end in the longitudinal direction of the body portion 11 is closed by an end seal portion 16. The end seal portion 16 is formed by joining the inner surfaces of one end in the longitudinal direction of the body portion 11. For the formation of the end seal portion 16, known joining means such as heat fusion or ultrasonic waves can be used.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the container body 10 has a neck portion forming member 14 fixed to the other end in the longitudinal direction of the body portion 11 which is a cylindrical body, that is, the end opposite to the end seal portion 16. The neck portion forming member 14 includes a neck portion 12 having an outer diameter smaller than that of the body portion 11, and a frustum-shaped shoulder portion 13 connected to the neck portion 12 (see Figures 7 and 8). In the container 1, the shoulder portion 13 is located between the body portion 11 and the neck portion 12. The neck portion 12 has a cylindrical shape having a flow path for discharging the contents of the container 1 inside, and has an opening for connecting the flow path to the outside. The mouth part 12 is located outside the container 1 in the longitudinal direction beyond the shoulder part 13. On the outer peripheral surface of the mouth part 12, a threaded part 12a is formed, which the cap body 3 described later is screwed onto. The interiors of the mouth part 12 and the shoulder part 13 communicate with the accommodation space 10S inside the body part 11. When discharging the content from the container 1, the content moves from the accommodation space 10S through the shoulder part 13 towards the opening of the mouth part 12.

[0011] The body part 11 of the present embodiment is a tube body that can be press-deformed (squeezed). That is, the body part 11 has flexibility that can be compressed by pressing. Along with this pressing, the internal pressure (the pressure inside the accommodation space 10S) of the body part 11 increases, enabling the content accommodated in the container body 10 (the body part 11) to be discharged to the outside of the container 1. From the perspective of more reliably obtaining the press-deformability, it is preferable that the body part 11 includes a resin layer made of a flexible resin. Examples of the flexible resin include polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Also, the body part 11 may be composed of a laminate or composite including a resin layer and a barrier layer. As the barrier layer, a layer made of aluminum foil or a barrier resin can be used.

[0012] In the container 1 of the present embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the container body 10 (the body part 11) coincides with the discharge direction V in which the content accommodated in the container 1 is discharged to the outside. In the container body 10, the discharge direction V is the direction from the body part 11 towards the mouth part 12.

[0013] In the container 1, the cap 2 is attached to the mouth part 12 of the container body 10 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The cap 2 includes a cap body 3 and a lid body 4 connected to the cap body 3 via a hinge part 5 (not shown in FIGS. 7 and 8). Each of the cap body 3 and the lid body 4 has a substantially circular shape in plan view (see FIG. 4). The cap body 3 includes a top surface portion 33, an attachment portion 38 that is screwed to the neck portion 12, and an outer cylinder 30 that has a space from the attachment portion 38 and surrounds the attachment portion 38. The attachment portion 38 and the outer cylinder 30 are cylindrical portions that protrude from the top surface portion 33 toward the container body 10 side in the longitudinal direction of the container 1. On the inner peripheral surface of the attachment portion 38, a cap-side thread portion 38a that is screwed to the thread portion 12a of the neck portion 12 is formed. The cap body 3 is attached to the neck portion 12 via the attachment portion 38. The outer cylinder 30 forms the outer peripheral surface of the cap body 3, and in the closed lid state where the lid body 4 of the cap 2 is closed, it protrudes from the peripheral edge of the top surface portion 33 toward the container body 10 side. The outer cylinder 30 of the present embodiment has a recessed portion 30a in which a part of the circumferential direction of the cap body 3 is recessed radially inward (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0014] The cap body 3 of the present embodiment includes an inner cylinder 37 that has a space from the attachment portion 38 and is surrounded by the attachment portion 38. The inner cylinder 37 is a cylindrical portion that protrudes from the top surface portion 33 toward the container body 10 side in the closed lid state, and has a shorter protruding length than the attachment portion 38. The inner cylinder 37 of the present embodiment has an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the neck portion 12, and in the state where the cap body 3 is attached to the neck portion 12, the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 37 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the neck portion 12 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). Such a configuration is preferable in that the neck portion 12 can be sealed in a liquid-tight manner.

[0015] An annular recess 31 is formed along the peripheral edge of the top surface portion 33 on the top surface portion 33 of the cap body 3 of the present embodiment (see FIG. 3). The annular recess 31 is formed on the surface of the top surface portion 33 on the lid body 4 side. In the closed lid state, the edge on the container body 10 side of the lid outer cylinder 40 described later abuts against the annular recess 31 (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

[0016] The cap body 3 of the present embodiment has a nozzle portion 35 that protrudes from the top surface portion 33 to the side opposite to the container body 10. The nozzle portion 35 has a shape that is long in one direction in plan view, and the cross-sectional shape (horizontal cross-sectional shape) is also long in the one direction (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The nozzle portion 35 is a cylindrical portion, and a discharge hole 36 for discharging the content to the outside of the container 1 is formed at the tip portion. When the nozzle portion 35 is viewed from the second direction D2 described later, the protruding height of the nozzle portion 35 is constant (see FIG. 2). That is, the tip portion of the nozzle portion 35 is parallel to the horizontal direction and extends along the horizontal direction. Thereby, the dischargeability of the content C when the content that has moved to the neck portion 12 is discharged to the outside of the container 1 from the discharge hole 36 of the nozzle portion 35 can be made more stable. In plan view, the discharge hole 36 has a shape that is long in one direction. In the plan view of the cap 2, the longitudinal direction of the discharge hole 36 coincides with the longitudinal direction of the nozzle portion 35 (see FIG. 4).

[0017] The cap body 3 of the present embodiment has a pedestal portion 34 having a step between the outer peripheral portion of the top surface portion 33 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). This pedestal portion 34 is a cylindrical portion formed at the central portion of the cap body 3. The pedestal portion 34 of the present embodiment protrudes from the top surface portion 33 to the side opposite to the container body 10. Further, the nozzle portion 35 protrudes from the pedestal portion 34 to the side opposite to the container body 10. The nozzle portion 35 is formed at the central portion of the pedestal portion 34.

[0018] The lid body 4 includes a top surface 46 of the lid body 4 (hereinafter, also referred to as "lid top surface portion 46"), a lid outer cylinder 40 that protrudes from the lid top surface portion 46 toward the cap body 3 side in the closed lid state, and a seal cylinder portion 44 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The lid outer cylinder 40 forms the outer peripheral surface of the lid body 4 and is a cylindrical portion that protrudes from the peripheral edge of the lid top surface portion 46 toward the cap body 3 side. The outer diameter of the lid outer cylinder 40 corresponds to the outer diameter of the cap body 3 and covers the top surface portion 33 including the discharge hole 36 in the closed lid state. The lid top surface portion 46 closes the opening on the side opposite to the cap body 3 of the cylindrical lid outer cylinder 40 in the closed lid state. In the closed state, the annular tip of the lid outer cylinder 40 is disposed in the annular recess 31 of the cap body 3 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). That is, the lid outer cylinder 40 and the annular recess 31 overlap each other. The seal cylinder portion 44 is a cylindrical portion that is spaced radially inward from the lid outer cylinder 40. In the closed state, the seal cylinder portion 44 is disposed so as to surround the pedestal portion 34 including the nozzle portion 35.

[0019] The lid top surface portion 46 of the present embodiment has an extension portion 41 that extends radially outward in a part in the circumferential direction (see FIGS. 1 and 2). As a result, the lid body 4 has a hat shape with the extension portion 41 as a flange portion. In the closed state, the extension portion 41 and the recessed portion 30a are in the same circumferential position. As a result, since a finger picking the extension portion 41 can be applied to the recessed portion 30a, the operation of opening the lid body 4 becomes easy.

[0020] The lid body 4 is rotatably connected to the cap body 3 via a hinge portion 5 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The hinge portion 5 is composed of a member of a plate-like piece that can be folded in two, and one of both ends of the plate-like piece is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 30 of the cap body 3, and the other of both ends of the plate-like piece is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the lid outer cylinder 40 of the lid body 4. The hinge portion 5 is configured such that the lid body 4 connected to the hinge portion 5 rotates with respect to the cap body 3 by expanding or folding the hinge portion 5 at a linear bending portion formed at the center of the hinge portion 5 in plan view. That is, the bending portion serves as the rotation axis HL of the hinge portion 5 (see FIG. 4). By the rotation of the hinge portion 5, the lid body 4 is opened and closed.

[0021] Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the discharge hole 36 is also referred to as the hole longitudinal direction LD, and the direction along the rotation axis HL of the hinge portion 5 is also referred to as the rotation axis direction HD. Also, the direction along the hole longitudinal direction LD is also referred to as the first direction D1, and the direction orthogonal to the first direction D1 is also referred to as the second direction D2. In the present embodiment, the second direction D2 coincides with the rotation axis direction HD. In the cap 2, the hole longitudinal direction LD and the rotation axis direction HD intersect. In the cap of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the hole longitudinal direction LD and the rotation axis direction HD are orthogonal to each other. From the viewpoint of further improving the operability of the container described below, in a plan view, the angle θ1 (see FIG. 4) between the hole longitudinal direction LD and the rotation axis direction HD is preferably 30° or more and 150° or less, more preferably 60° or more and 120° or less, and still more preferably 80° or more and 100° or less.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 6, the container 1 of the present embodiment can discharge the content C from the container 1 and uniformly and widely apply the content C to the application target S. More specifically, by discharging the content C widely from the discharge hole 36 and moving the container 1 in one direction, the content C can be spread along the one direction. In such an application operation, the visual direction (line of sight) of the user may be a line of sight from the end seal portion 16 side toward the discharge hole 36. In the container 1 of the present embodiment, since the hole longitudinal direction LD and the rotation axis direction HD in the cap 2 intersect, when visually observing from the end seal portion 16 side to the discharge hole 36 side, that is, when the user's line of sight is substantially along the discharge direction V, the rotating lid body 4 with respect to the cap body 3 does not block the line of sight, and the application site on the application target S and the content C discharged from the discharge hole 36 can be easily visually recognized. Thereby, when discharging and applying the content C, the content C can be surely applied to a desired site, and the operability is excellent. In other words, the discharge of the content C to sites other than the desired site can be suppressed. On the other hand, in the hinge cap disclosed in Patent Document 1, the hole longitudinal direction LD and the rotation axis direction HD are parallel. When discharging the content from a container equipped with such a hinge cap, when visually observing from the end seal portion side to the discharge hole side, the line of sight is easily blocked by the lid body, and it is difficult to visually recognize the application site on the application target S and the content C discharged from the discharge hole 36. Therefore, there is a possibility that the content C may be applied to a site other than the desired site, or the content C may not be applied to the desired site.

[0023] From the viewpoint of applying the content C over a wider range while maintaining the operability, the dimensions of the discharge hole 36 are preferably within the following ranges. In plan view, for the discharge hole 36, the length L1 (see FIG. 5) in the longitudinal direction LD of the hole is preferably 8 times or more, more preferably 12 times or more, preferably 38 times or less, more preferably 34 times or less, and preferably 8 times or more and 38 times or less, more preferably 12 times or more and 34 times or less of the length L2 (see FIG. 5) in the short direction. The length L2 in the short direction of the discharge hole 36 in the present embodiment is the length in the second direction D2 of the discharge hole 36. In plan view, for the discharge hole 36, the length L2 (see FIG. 5) in the short direction is preferably 0.5 mm or more, more preferably 0.7 mm or more, preferably 3 mm or less, more preferably 2 mm or less, and preferably 0.5 mm or more and 3 mm or less, more preferably 0.7 mm or more and 2 mm or less.

[0024] From the viewpoint of making the coating operation on the coating target S easier, the protruding height H2 (see FIG. 9) of the nozzle portion 35 is preferably 2 mm or more and 10 mm or less, more preferably 4 mm or more and 8 mm or less. The protruding height H2 of the nozzle portion 35 is the length between the top surface portion of the pedestal portion 34 and the tip of the nozzle portion 35 in the discharge direction V (see FIG. 9).

[0025] The discharge hole 36 of the present embodiment is a slit that is long in one direction (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The discharge hole 36 is not limited to such a form, and can have any planar shape that is long in one direction. For example, on the condition that it is a shape that is long in one direction, it may be a polygon such as a quadrilateral or an ellipse, or a shape having a straight portion and a curved portion such as a semi-circle, a shape composed of a curved portion such as a crescent moon, a wavy shape, a rectangle having a plurality of constricted portions, or the like.

[0026] In the present embodiment, the container 1 can discharge and apply the content C while bringing the tip of the nozzle portion 35 protruding from the top surface portion 33 into contact with the coating target S. When the coating target S is the skin, from the viewpoint of softening the contact with the skin, it is preferable that the corner portion of the tip of the nozzle portion 35 is in an R shape in a cross-sectional view along the short direction (second direction D2) of the discharge hole 36 (see FIG. 7).

[0027] The cap 2 of the present embodiment is provided with a locking mechanism 51 that maintains the state in which the hinge portion 5 is rotated by 180° or more from the closed state (see Fig. 9). The locking mechanism 51 of the present embodiment detachably locks the open state of the lid body 4, and is constituted by a locking convex portion 52 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 30 and a locking groove 53 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lid outer cylinder 40 (see Figs. 9 and 10). Such a locking mechanism 51 has these locking convex portions 52 and locking grooves 53 formed at the portion where the outer cylinder 30 and the lid outer cylinder 40 come into contact when the lid body 4 is rotated by 180° or more with respect to the top surface portion 33 of the cap body 3 (when the hinge portion 5 is rotated by 180° or more). With such a configuration, when the hinge portion 5 is rotated by 180° or more, the locking groove 53 of the outer cylinder 30 and the locking groove 53 of the lid outer cylinder 40 engage with each other, and the hinge portion 5 can be maintained in a state of being rotated by 180° or more. As a result, the open state can be maintained better, and the visibility of the application site on the application target S and the content C discharged from the discharge hole 36 can be further improved, so that the discharge of the content C from the discharge hole 36 and the operability during application (see Fig. 6) can be further improved. Note that, contrary to the present embodiment, the locking convex portion 52 may be formed on the lid outer cylinder 40 and the locking groove 53 may be formed on the outer cylinder 30 in the locking mechanism 51.

[0028] From the viewpoint of maintaining the open state better, the rotation angle θ2 (see Fig. 9) of the hinge portion 5 whose rotation state is maintained by the locking mechanism 51 is preferably more than 180° and 190° or less. Such a rotation angle θ2 is the angle of the lid body 4 (lid outer cylinder 40) with respect to the top surface portion 33 of the cap body 3 (see Fig. 9). In the case of the closed state, the rotation angle is 0°.

[0029] The container body 10 preferably has an angle between the longitudinal direction LD of the discharge hole 36 and the compression direction (pressing direction) of the barrel portion 11. Thereby, it becomes easier to visually observe the entire content C discharged in a long state in one direction from the discharge hole 36, and the operability when applying to the application target while compressing the barrel portion 11 can be improved. From the viewpoint of further improving such operability, the angle of the longitudinal direction LD of the discharge hole 36 with respect to the compression direction of the barrel portion 11 is preferably 30° or more and 150° or less, more preferably 60° or more and 120° or less, and still more preferably 80° or more and 100° or less. The compression direction of the barrel portion 11 is the direction in which the barrel portion 11 is compressed when discharging the content C, and is a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the end seal portion 16.

[0030] The container body 10 preferably has an end seal portion 16 formed at one end in the longitudinal direction of the barrel portion 11 and on the side opposite to the neck portion 12 extending along the longitudinal direction LD of the discharge hole 36 (see FIG. 11). With such a configuration, since the compression direction of the barrel portion 11 and the hole longitudinal direction LD are orthogonal, it becomes easier to visually observe the content C discharged from the discharge hole 36, and the operation of pressing the barrel portion 11 by hand becomes easier. In particular, when the moving direction of the hand holding the container 1 is outward in the left-right direction of the user, the visibility of the discharge hole 36 during the application operation can be further improved.

[0031] As described above, the cap 2 of the present embodiment has a pedestal portion 34 on the cap body 3 and a seal cylinder portion 44 on the lid body 4 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). In the closed lid state, the seal cylinder portion 44 protrudes toward the top surface portion 33 of the cap body 3 and is arranged around the pedestal portion 34. In such a state, it is preferable that the space between the pedestal portion 34 and the seal cylinder portion 44 is sealed (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The seal may be a line seal between the top surface of the pedestal portion 34 and the tip of the seal cylinder portion 44, or a surface seal between the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal portion 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the seal cylinder portion 44. By this seal, the space 44S (hereinafter, also referred to as "seal cylinder portion space 44S") defined by the top surface of the pedestal portion 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the seal cylinder portion 44 is blocked, so that the airtightness of the space 44S is obtained. Such an effect is effective in that it can suppress the leakage of the content C from the discharge hole 36 due to the air (air pressure) in the seal cylinder portion space 44S. In particular, when the temperature in the container body 10 rises and the air in the head space in the container body 10 expands, the internal pressure of the container body 10 rises and the content C is likely to leak out of the discharge hole 36. However, since the seal cylinder portion space 44S has airtightness, the leakage of the content C can be effectively suppressed. From the viewpoint of further improving the above effects, it is more preferable that the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal portion 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the seal cylinder portion 44 are in close contact with each other in the closed lid state.

[0032] In the cap 2 in the closed lid state of the present embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal portion 34 and the inner peripheral surface of the seal cylinder portion 44 are surface-sealed. From the viewpoint of further improving the airtightness of the seal cylinder portion space 44S and the viewpoint of making the lid opening operation easier, the dimensions of the pedestal portion 34 and the seal cylinder portion 44 are preferably within the following ranges. The overlapping height H1 (see FIG. 7) of the seal cylinder portion 44 and the pedestal portion 34 in the closed lid state is preferably 75% or more and 95% or less, more preferably 80% or more and 90% or less with respect to the protruding height H3 (see FIG. 7) of the pedestal portion 34. Such an overlapping height H1 is the length by which the seal cylinder portion 44 and the pedestal portion 34 overlap in the discharge direction V in the closed lid state. The protruding height H3 of the pedestal portion 34 is the length between the top surface portion 33 and the top surface of the pedestal portion 34 in the discharge direction V (see FIG. 7). The overlapping height H1 (see Fig. 7) between the sealing cylinder part 44 in the closed lid state and the pedestal part 34 is preferably 1.5 mm or more and 4.5 mm or less, more preferably 2 mm or more and 4 mm or less. The protruding height H3 (see Fig. 7) of the pedestal part 34 is preferably 2 mm or more and 5 mm or less, more preferably 3 mm or more and 4.5 mm or less. The protruding height H4 of the sealing cylinder part 44 is preferably 4 mm or more and 15 mm or less, more preferably 7 mm or more and 12 mm or less. The protruding height H4 of the sealing cylinder part 44 is the length between the facing surface of the cap body 3 on the lid top surface 46 in the closed lid state and the tip of the sealing cylinder part 44 in the normal direction to the facing surface (see Fig. 7).

[0033] When the inner peripheral surface of the sealing cylinder part 44 and the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal part 34 are sealed, it is preferable that press - fit ribs 44a formed of convex parts are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the sealing cylinder part 44 (see Fig. 8). The press - fit ribs 44a are formed at the height position where the sealing cylinder part 44 and the pedestal part 34 overlap in the discharge direction V in the closed lid state, and are crimped by the outer peripheral surface of the pedestal part 34. Thereby, the airtightness of the sealing cylinder part space 44S can be further improved. Also, since the click feeling during the lid - closing operation is generated when the press - fit ribs 44a are crimped, the usability can be improved. The press - fit ribs 44a may be formed continuously on the entire circumference of the inner peripheral surface of the sealing cylinder part 44, or may be formed on a part of the circumferential direction of the sealing cylinder part 44. In the latter case, as long as the sealing performance can be substantially ensured, the press - fit ribs 44a may be formed discontinuously in part in the circumferential direction of the sealing cylinder part 44.

[0034] In the lid 4 of the present embodiment, the lid top surface 46 has a lid convex portion 47 protruding toward the cap body 3 side (container body 10 side) on the surface facing the cap body 3 in the closed lid state (see FIGS. 7, 8, and 12). This lid convex portion 47 is composed of a central convex portion 47a and a pair of side convex portions 47b, 47b located on both sides of the central convex portion 47a, and is provided radially inward of the seal cylinder portion 44. In a plan view of the closed lid state, the central convex portion 47a and each of the pair of side convex portions 47b, 47b extend along one direction, more specifically, the first direction D1 (hole longitudinal direction LD) (see FIG. 4). That is, the extending direction of the lid convex portion 47 coincides with the hole longitudinal direction LD. In the side convex portions 47b, 47b of the present embodiment, the ends in their extending direction (hole longitudinal direction LD) are connected to each other, forming an annular convex portion in a plan view [see FIG. 12(a)]. Alternatively, the side convex portions 47b, 47b may have ends in their extending direction (hole longitudinal direction LD) that are not connected and are separated from each other. In this case, the lid convex portion 47 is composed of three convex portions 47a, 47b, 47b that are long in the hole longitudinal direction LD.

[0035] In the cap 2 of the present embodiment, in a plan view of the closed lid state, the central convex portion 47a overlaps the discharge hole 36, and the side convex portions 47b, 47b are close to the peripheral portion along the hole longitudinal direction LD of the nozzle portion 35. In the closed lid state of this cap 2, the central convex portion 47a is inserted into the discharge hole 36, and the side convex portions 47b, 47b abut or are close to the peripheral portion along the longitudinal direction of the nozzle portion 35 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). Thereby, in the closed lid state, the discharge hole 36 is blocked by the central convex portion 47a, so that leakage of the content C from the discharge hole 36 can be further suppressed. Also, in the closed lid state, the tip portion along the hole longitudinal direction LD of the nozzle portion 35 is sandwiched between the pair of side convex portions 47b, 47b, so that deformation of the nozzle portion 35 in the closed lid state is suppressed, and leakage of the content C passing through the nozzle portion 35 can also be suppressed. In the closed state, when the side convex portions 47b, 47b are close to the peripheral portion along the hole longitudinal direction LD of the nozzle portion 35, the length between the side convex portions 47b, 47b in the second direction D2 and the peripheral portion along the hole longitudinal direction LD of the nozzle portion 35 is preferably 0.1 mm or less, more preferably 0.05 mm or less.

[0036] Also, as described above, in the cap 2 of the present embodiment, in a plan view, the hole longitudinal direction LD and the rotation axis direction HD of the hinge portion intersect. When closing the cap 2 in such a state, the lid body 4 is rotated around the rotation axis HL so as to approach the cap main body 3. During this operation, since the central convex portion 47a is gradually inserted into the discharge hole 36 along the hole longitudinal direction LD from the hinge portion 5 side, the closing operation can be easily performed.

[0037] From the viewpoint of further improving the above effects, the lid convex portion 47 preferably has the following dimensions. The protruding height H5 of the central convex portion 47a from the lid top surface portion 46 (see FIG. 12(b)) is preferably 5% or more and 40% or less, more preferably 10% or more and 30% or less, with respect to the protruding height H2 of the nozzle portion 35 (see FIG. 9). The protruding height H5 of the central convex portion 47a from the lid top surface portion 46 (see FIG. 12(b)) is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 3 mm or less, more preferably 0.5 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less. The protruding height H6 of the side convex portion 47b (see FIG. 12(b)) is preferably 5% or more and 50% or less, more preferably 10% or more and 40% or less, with respect to the protruding height H2 of the nozzle portion 35 (see FIG. 9). The protruding height H6 of the side convex portion 47b (see FIG. 12(b)) is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 3.5 mm or less, more preferably 0.5 mm or more and 2 mm or less. The protruding heights H5, H6 of the central convex portion 47a and the side convex portion 47b are the lengths between the top portions of the central convex portion 47a and the side convex portion 47b along the normal direction with respect to the lid top surface portion 46 and the lid top surface portion 46. The protruding heights H5, H6 of the central convex portion 47a and the side convex portion 47b may be the same or different.

[0038] From the viewpoint of further suppressing the liquid leakage of the content C, for each of the central convex portion 47a and the pair of side convex portions 47b, 47b, the ratio of the protruding height from the lid body (lid top surface portion 46) to the width (protruding height / width) is preferably 3 or less, more preferably 1.5 or less, and is also preferably 0.1 or more, more preferably 0.3 or more, and is also preferably 0.1 or more and 3 or less, more preferably 0.3 or more and 1.5 or less. Such a ratio is the ratio (H5 / W5) of the protruding height H5 (see FIG. 12(a)) to the width W5 (see FIG. 12(a)) of the central convex portion 47a and the ratio (H6 / W6) of the protruding height H6 (see FIG. 12(a)) to the width W6 (see FIG. 12(a)) of the side convex portion 47b. The widths W5 and W6 are the lengths in the direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the central convex portion 47a and the side convex portions 47b, 47b.

[0039] In the plan view, the recessed portion 30a of the outer cylinder 30 and the extending portion 41 of the lid outer cylinder 40 of the cap 2 of the present embodiment are formed at positions facing the hinge portion 5 in the circumferential direction of the cap and on the extension line of the extending direction of the discharge hole 36. With such a configuration, it becomes easier to grasp the positions of opening and closing the lid in the circumferential direction of the cap 2, so that the opening and closing operation of the lid body 4 and the discharging operation of the content C can be performed more easily.

[0040] Examples of the content C accommodated inside the container 1 include, for example, cosmetics such as lotion, emulsion, beauty essence, sunscreen, hand cream, makeup remover, hair care agents such as shampoo, conditioner, hair dye, hair styling agent, hair growth agent, skin cleansing agents such as facial cleanser, body soap and hand soap, detergents such as food detergent and laundry detergent, oral cleansing agents such as toothpaste, softeners, bleaching agents, fragrances such as aroma oil, liquid pharmaceuticals such as bath agent and eye drops, supplements, cleaning agents for bath and toilet, floor cleaning, liquid foods such as soup, sauce, dressing, etc.

[0041] From the viewpoint of further improving the discharge property from the discharge hole 36, the viscosity of the content C is preferably 15,000 mPa·s or more and 180,000 mPa·s or less, more preferably 25,000 mPa·s or more and 140,000 mPa·s or less. With such a configuration, the content C can be discharged more stably from the discharge hole 36 that is long in one direction, and it becomes easier to apply the content C over a wide range. The viscosity of the content C is measured under the conditions of spindle: T-C, rotation speed: 5 rpm, and measurement time: 1 min using a helical viscometer (TVB-10 manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.) in an environment of a temperature of 30°C. The measurement is repeated three times, and the average value is adopted as the viscosity.

[0042] Examples of the forming material of the cap 2 include polyolefins such as PE (polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene), polyesters such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), polyamides, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, synthetic resins such as polylactic acid, etc., but are not limited thereto. The cap 2 of the present embodiment is integrally formed with a cap body 3, a hinge portion 5, and a lid body 4. Such a configuration is advantageous in terms of the manufacturing efficiency, manufacturing cost of the cap 2, and the operability when opening and closing the lid body 4 in that parts such as the hinge portion 5 are not separate members. The cap 2 can be manufactured by an injection molding method using a mold.

[0043] In the container body 10 of the present embodiment, the tube body constituting the body portion 11 etc. is formed by extrusion molding of a synthetic resin. Instead of this, the container body 10 may be formed by rounding a sheet-shaped molded body into a cylindrical shape and fusing the side edges that are overlapped. The container body 10 of the present embodiment is formed by joining a neck portion forming member 14 molded separately from the body portion 11 to one end portion of the body portion 11. Instead of this, the container body 10 may have the neck portion forming member 14 and the body portion 11 integrally molded.

[0044] As described above, the present invention has been described based on its preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the cap 2 of the above-described embodiment had the nozzle portion 35 protruding from the top surface portion 33 of the cap body 3 and the pedestal portion 34 having a step with the outer peripheral portion of the top surface portion 33, but it may not have the nozzle portion 35 and the pedestal portion 34. In this case, a discharge hole 36 is formed in the top surface portion 33 of the cap body 3. Also, the cap 2 in the above-described embodiment was integrally formed with the cap body 3, the lid body 4, and the hinge portion 5, but these parts may not be integrally formed. Further, the lid convex portion 47 of the above-described embodiment consisted of the central convex portion 47a and the pair of side convex portions 47b, 47b located on both sides of the central convex portion 47a, but the lid convex portion 47 may consist of only the central convex portion 47a without including the pair of side convex portions 47b, 47b. Also, in the above-described embodiment, the lid top surface portion 46 had the lid convex portion 47 protruding toward the cap body 3 side (container body 10 side) on the surface facing the cap body 3 in the closed lid state, but instead of the lid convex portion 47, it may have a blocking portion that liquid-tightly closes the discharge hole 36. In this case, for example, a material made of an elastomer resin can be used for the blocking portion.

[0045] The container 1 of the above-described embodiment was a tube container, but it may be a squeeze container such as a squeezable blow bottle. In this case, the squeeze container has a flexible body portion 11, and by pressing the body portion 11, the content C can be discharged from the discharge hole 36. As forms of such a container, in addition to a tube container, flexible containers such as a blow bottle container, a blow tube container, and a pouch container can be mentioned. The forming material of the flexible body portion 11 of these containers may be a sheet made of a general-purpose synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), or nylon, or a multilayer body or composite body formed by laminating or combining the sheet made of the synthetic resin with another sheet such as a barrier resin, an aluminum foil, or a paper material.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0046] 1 Container 2 Cap 3 Cap Body 4 Lid 5 Hinge part 10 Container body 10S Accommodation space 11 Flexible barrel part (barrel part) 12 Mouth part 12a Thread part 13 Shoulder part 14 Mouth part forming member 16 End seal part 30 Outer cylinder 30a Depression part 31 Annular recess 33 Top surface part 34 Base part 35 Nozzle part 36 Discharge hole 37 Inner cylinder 38 Attachment part 38a Cap side thread part 40 Lid outer cylinder 41 Extension part 44 Seal cylinder part 44S Seal cylinder part space 46 Lid top surface part 47 Lid convex part 47a Central convex part 47b Side convex part 51 Lock mechanism 52 Lock convex part 53 Lock groove

Claims

1. A container comprising a container body having a neck portion and a flexible body portion and accommodating a content, and a cap attached to the neck portion, the cap includes a cap body having an attachment portion for the neck portion and an ejection hole for the content, and a lid body connected to the cap body via a hinge portion and covering the ejection hole in a closed state, A container, wherein, in a plan view of the cap, the discharge hole has a shape that is elongated in one direction, and the longitudinal direction of the discharge hole intersects with a rotation axis direction of the hinge portion.

2. The container according to claim 1 , wherein an angle between a longitudinal direction of the discharge hole and a rotation axis direction of the hinge portion is 30° or more and 150° or less in a plan view.

3. 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein an angle of the longitudinal direction of the discharge hole with respect to a compression direction of the flexible body of the container body is 30 degrees or more and 150 degrees or less.

4. The container body has an end seal portion formed at one end of the flexible body in a longitudinal direction, the end seal portion being opposite to the neck portion, The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the end seal portion extends along a longitudinal direction of the discharge hole.

5. 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cap body has a top surface portion and a nozzle portion protruding from the top surface portion toward the opposite side of the container body and having a cross-sectional shape that is long in the same direction as the one direction, and the discharge hole is formed at a tip portion of the nozzle portion.

6. The container according to claim 5 , wherein a corner of a tip end of the nozzle portion is rounded in a cross section taken along a short side direction of the discharge hole.

7. The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the length of the discharge hole in the longitudinal direction is eight or more times the length of the discharge hole in the lateral direction in a plan view.

8. The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the discharge hole has a length in a short side direction of 3 mm or less in a plan view.

9. 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the cap is provided with a locking mechanism that maintains the hinge portion in a state rotated 180 degrees or more from the closed state.

10. The container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cap is formed by integrally molding the cap body, the hinge portion, and the lid body.

11. 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the content is 15,000 mPa·s or more and 180,000 mPa·s or less.

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