Insect-proof cap

Abstract

To provide a container with a cap that prevents insects from entering when the cap is closed.SOLUTION: A container with cap 1 is formed of a container 2 having a neck part 11 with male threads 14 formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof and a cap 3 attached to the neck part. The inner circumferential surface of a skirt wall 22 of the cap is formed of a female thread 23 to be screwed onto the male thread. The male thread includes one or a plurality of male thread protrusions 14. A male thread protrusion and a male thread protrusion adjacent to the male thread protrusion have an overlap part in which both exist in the axial direction. A protrusion is formed in a portion of a recess between the male thread protrusion and the male thread protrusion adjacent to the male thread protrusion in the overlap part. The female thread includes one or a plurality of female thread protrusions 24. The female thread protrusions have a thick screw area 24a in which the screw width is thickened. In the closed state, the upper surface of the thick screw area and the lower surface of the male thread protrusions located above the protrusions are in abutting contact.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container with a cap having an insect intrusion prevention function.

Background Art

[0002] As a container with a cap for beverage use, a container such as a glass bottle with a synthetic resin cap formed by injection molding resin into a desired shape is widely used. In this container with a cap, when attaching the cap to the container mouth, there are those that are fitted into the container mouth by caulking, and those that are attached by screwing engagement with a screw portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical side wall of the container mouth and winding.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a composite cap composed of a synthetic resin outer lid and a metal inner lid, and describes that it has a so-called guarantee characteristic indicating that the inside of the container is appropriately maintained in a reduced pressure state until opening, and a so-called pilfer-proof characteristic that displays a trace when the cap is once detached from the mouth neck of the container. In a container with such a cap attached, the sealing property of the container is ensured by a liner (sealing material) formed on the metal inner lid.

[0004] However, in regions with a hot and humid climate such as Southeast Asia, in a closed state (unopened state) where the cap is screwed and fitted to the container, depending on the storage environment of the container, insects such as ants of a small size may enter the screw portion, and through the gap between the male screw threads formed on the container and the female screw threads formed on the cap, reach the resin sealing material inside the cap, and there is a risk of penetrating into the inside of the container by biting through the sealing material. Also, when a cap with a low height (so-called short height) is adopted, the number of turns of the screw is reduced, resulting in a shorter moving distance, and it is easier for insects of a small size to enter. Furthermore, when a seal point or the like for filling the intrusion location (screw portion) is provided to prevent such insect intrusion, there is a risk of an increase in the opening torque and a deterioration in the winding property.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a container with a cap, which is characterized in that invasion of minute-sized insects is prevented in a closed lid state.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to the present invention, there is provided a container with a cap, which comprises a container having a cylindrical neck portion and a bottom portion, with male screw threads formed on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion, and a cap attached to the neck portion. The cap includes a top wall and a cylindrical skirt wall hanging down from the periphery of the top wall. Female screw threads to be screwed onto the male screw threads are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt wall. The male screw threads are composed of one or a plurality of male screw engaging ridges. One male screw engaging ridge and the male screw engaging ridge adjacent to the one male screw engaging ridge have an overlapping portion where both exist in the axial direction. A protrusion is formed in a part of the recess between the one male screw engaging ridge and the adjacent male screw engaging ridge in the overlapping portion. The female screw threads are composed of one or a plurality of female screw engaging ridges, and the female screw engaging ridges have thick screw regions where the screw width is large. A container with a cap, characterized in that in a closed lid state, the upper surface of the thick screw region abuts against the lower surface of the male screw engaging ridge located above the protrusion.

[0008] In the container with a cap of the present invention, the following aspects are preferably adopted. (1) The thick screw region is formed at least at the terminal portion of the effective screw portion of the female screw engaging ridge. (2) The overlapping portion is formed at the starting end portion of one male screw engaging ridge and the terminal end portion of the male screw engaging ridge adjacent to the one male screw engaging ridge. (3) The distance from the radially leading end portion of the thick screw region to the protruding portion is 0.05 to 0.3 mm. (4) The distance from the lower surface of the thick screw region to the upper surface of the male screw engaging ridge located below the protruding portion is 0.05 to 0.3 mm. (5) The male screw is composed of three male screw engaging ridges, and the female screw is composed of three female screw engaging ridges. (6) The cap is a composite cap composed of a synthetic resin outer lid having an opening on the top surface and a metal panel portion for closing the opening.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] In the capped container of the present invention, a thick screw region with a wide screw width is formed on the female screw formed on the cap, and a protruding portion is formed between the male screws formed on the container mouth neck portion. By the upper surface of the thick screw region and the lower surface of the male screw engaging ridge located above the protruding portion coming into contact, the gap between the male screw formed on the container and the female screw formed on the cap becomes very small, so that the intrusion of insects from the screw portion can be effectively prevented. Also, even when a cap with a low height (so-called short height) is adopted, for the same reason as above, the intrusion of insects from the screw portion can be effectively prevented. Furthermore, when the thick screw region is formed at the terminal end portion of at least the effective screw portion of the female screw engaging ridge, in the capping after filling the contents, the influence on the initial capping is eliminated, so that capping equivalent to that of conventional products becomes possible, and smooth uncapping can also be performed when the consumer uncaps the container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The capped container of the present invention will be described based on the specific examples shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0012] <Capped Container 1> Generally speaking, as shown in FIG. 1, the capped container 1 of the present invention comprises a container 2 having a cylindrical mouth and neck portion 11 and a bottom portion 12, and a cap 3 attached to the mouth and neck portion 11.

[0013] <Container 2> As shown in FIG. 2, the container 2 has a cylindrical mouth and neck portion 11 and a bottom portion 12, and a male thread 13 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth and neck portion 11. This male thread 13 can be screwed with a female thread 23 formed on the cap 3 described later. The male thread 13 can be composed of one or a plurality of male screwing ridges 14, but from the viewpoints of ease of capping and quick openability, as shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that the male thread 13 is a triple thread composed of three male screwing convex portions 14.

[0014] As is clear from FIG. 2, one male screw engagement rib 14 and the male screw engagement rib 14 adjacent to the one male screw engagement rib 14 have an overlapping portion 15 where both are present in the axial direction. And a protruding portion 18 is formed in a part of the concave portion between the one male screw engagement rib 14 and the male screw engagement rib 14 adjacent to it in the overlapping portion 15. In the capped container of the present invention, in the closed state, it is an important point that the upper surface of the thick screw region 24a described later and the lower surface of the male screw engagement rib 14 located above the protruding portion 18 are in contact with each other. When these are in contact, the gap between the male screw threads 13 formed on the container 2 and the female screw threads 23 formed on the cap 3 becomes very small, so that the intrusion of minute-sized insects can be prevented. The radially protruding amount of the protruding portion 18 can be appropriately set according to the interval A described later.

[0015] The male screw engagement rib 14 is composed of an effective screw portion and an incomplete screw portion. The effective screw portion is the portion where the upper surface of the female screw engagement rib 24 described later and the lower surface of the male screw engagement rib 14 are in contact with each other among the male screw engagement ribs 14. On the other hand, the incomplete screw portion is provided at both ends of the effective screw portion and is the portion where the screw width is reduced toward the tip. By thus reducing the screw width, it becomes easier to engage with the female screw threads 23 at the start of winding or at the time of opening.

[0016] The circumferential length of the protruding portion 18 only needs to be formed in at least a part of the concave portion between the one male screw engagement rib 14 and the male screw engagement rib 14 adjacent to it in the overlapping portion 15. Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the protruding portion 18 can be formed straddling the effective screw portion and the incomplete screw portion of each of the male screw engagement rib 14 and the male screw engagement rib 14 adjacent to it.

[0017] The overlapping portion 15 is preferably formed at the start end portion 16 of one male screw engagement rib 14 and the end end portion 17 of the male screw engagement rib 14 adjacent to the one male screw engagement rib 14. If the overlapping portion 15 is long, it becomes an excessive length for preventing the intrusion of insects, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost. Note that the starting end portion 16 of the male screw engaging ridge 14 in the container 2 is the portion including the incomplete thread portion on the neck portion 11 side of the male screw engaging ridge 14, and the terminal end portion 17 in the container 2 is the portion including the incomplete thread portion on the bottom portion 12 side of the male screw engaging ridge 14. Further, in the case of a single-start thread where only one male screw engaging ridge 14 is formed, it is preferable that an overlapping portion 15 is formed by the starting end portion 16 of one male screw engaging ridge 14 and the terminal end portion 17 of the one male screw engaging ridge 14.

[0018] Examples of the container 2 used in the present invention include, but are not limited to, glass bottles, and known bottles made of olefin resins, polyester resins, etc.

[0019] <Cap 3> As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cap 3 includes a top wall 21 and a cylindrical skirt wall 22 hanging down from the periphery of the top wall 21, and a female thread 23 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt wall 22. This female thread 23 can be screwed with the male thread 13 formed on the container. The female thread 23 can be composed of one or a plurality of female screw engaging ridges 24. From the viewpoints of ease of capping and quick openability, as shown in FIG. 4, the female thread 23 is preferably a triple-start thread composed of three female screw engaging ridges 24. Further, the number of male screw engaging ridges 14 of the male thread 13 formed on the container and the number of female screw engaging ridges 24 of the female thread 23 formed on the cap 3 are usually the same.

[0020] The female screw engaging ridge 24 is composed of an effective thread portion 41 and an incomplete thread portion 42. The effective thread portion 41 is the portion where the upper surface of the female screw engaging ridge 24 abuts against the lower surface of the male screw engaging ridge 14. On the other hand, the incomplete thread portion 42 is provided at both ends of the effective thread portion 41 and is the portion where the thread width decreases toward the tip. By thus reducing the thread width, it becomes easier to screw with the male thread 13 at the start of winding or at the time of opening.

[0021] The effective thread portion of the female screw engaging rib 24 has a thick thread region 24a where the thread width is large and a normal thread region 24b. In the present invention, in the closed lid state, it is important that the upper surface of the thick thread region 24a abuts against the lower surface of the male screw engaging rib 14 located above the protrusion 18. Since the gap between the female screw thread 23 formed on the cap and the male screw thread 13 formed on the container 2 becomes very small, invasion of minute-sized insects can be prevented.

[0022] The thick thread region 24a is not limited in its formation position on the female screw engaging rib 24 as long as the upper surface of the thick thread region 24a abuts against the lower surface of the male screw engaging rib 14 located above the protrusion 18 and the gap between the female screw thread 23 formed on the cap 3 and the male screw thread 13 formed on the container 2 can be made very small. However, as shown in the figure, from the viewpoints of capping property and opening property, it is preferably formed at least at the terminal portion of the effective thread portion of the female screw engaging rib 24. That is, referring to FIG. 5, since the thick thread region 24a is formed at the terminal portion of the effective thread portion so as to straddle the boundary between the effective thread portion 41 and the incomplete thread portion 42 of the female screw engaging rib 24, in the capping after filling the contents, the influence on the initial capping is eliminated, so that capping equivalent to that of the conventional product becomes possible, and the consumer can smoothly open the cap when opening it. Note that the terminal portion of the effective thread portion of the female screw engaging rib 24 in the cap 3 is formed in the direction of the top surface wall 21 of the female screw engaging rib 24.

[0023] Furthermore, as described above, the thick thread region 24a has a larger thread width than the normal thread region 24b. However, it is preferable that the thread width on the lower surface side of the female screw engaging rib 24 is large. If the thread width on the upper surface side of the female screw engaging rib 24 becomes large, there is a possibility that the frictional force with the lower surface of the male screw engaging rib 14 becomes large, and the male screw engaging rib 14 may not be smoothly screwed, and sufficient capping may not be possible.

[0024] The normal thread region (region where the thread width is not increased) is the portion other than the thick thread region 24a of the female thread engagement ridge 24. The thread width of the thick thread region 24a of the female thread engagement ridge 24 can be appropriately set according to the interval B described later, but may be set to 105 to 150% of the thread width of the normal thread region.

[0025] In addition, the circumferential length of the thick thread region 24a of the female thread engagement convex streak 24 can be set appropriately depending on the allowable winding angle setting described later, but may be set to 10 to 50% of the circumferential length of the female thread engagement convex streak 24.

[0026] In order to improve sealing performance at the contact area between the inner surface of the top wall 21 and the mouth and neck portion 11 of the container 2, it is preferable that a cushioning sealant 25 is formed around the inner surface of the top wall 21. In addition, it is preferable that the skirt wall 22 is formed with knurls to prevent fingers from slipping.

[0027] The cap 3 is preferably a composite cap made up of a synthetic resin outer lid 3a having an opening 26 on the top surface, and a metal panel portion 3b that closes the opening 26.

[0028] In the case of a composite cap, the synthetic resin outer cover 3a preferably has a retaining ridge in addition to a female thread 23 on the inner peripheral surface of the main portion of the skirt wall, and has an outward curled portion 28 on the outer periphery of the metal panel portion 3b. The inner diameter of this retaining ridge is larger than the maximum outer diameter of the part of the metal panel portion 3b other than the outward curl, but smaller than the outer diameter of the outward curl 28, so that the outward curl 28 and the retaining ridge work together to retain the metal panel portion 3b within the outer lid 3a.

[0029] Even if rust occurs on the sharp cut edges generated during press molding of the metal panel portion 3b, the sharp cut edges are rolled up inside the outward curl 28, so that the rust is not visible to consumers. Since the smooth outer peripheral portion of the outer curling 28 of the metal panel portion 3b acts on the holding ridge of the outer lid 3a and the metal panel portion 3b is held at the required position within the outer lid, the resistance to the relative rotation between the metal panel portion 3b and the outer lid at the initial stage of the opening operation is relatively small. At the initial stage of the opening operation, only the outer lid rotates. Therefore, the required rotational torque during the opening operation is a sufficiently small value.

[0030] After the cap 3 is detached from the mouth-neck portion 11 of the container 2, when the metal panel portion 3b is pushed downward through the opening 26 formed in the central portion of the top surface wall 21 of the outer lid 3a, the outer curling 28 of the metal panel portion 3b acts on the holding ridge and the female screw portion 23 of the outer lid 3a, whereby the skirt wall of the outer lid 3a is elastically deformed. Therefore, similar to the case of inserting the metal panel portion 3b into the outer lid 3a, the metal panel portion 3b can be sufficiently easily detached from within the outer lid 3a and the two can be separated.

[0031] The outer curling 28 formed on the metal panel portion 3b can increase the rigidity of the metal panel portion 3b. Therefore, it is sufficiently ensured that warping is not generated in the metal panel portion 3b, and the occurrence of poor sealing is reliably avoided.

[0032] For preventing unauthorized use, it is preferable that the skirt lower end of the cap 3 has a tamper-evident band (TE band) 31 via a breakable weakening portion 32. It is preferable that locking protrusions 34 capable of locking to the annular locking jaw portion 33 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth-neck portion 11 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the TE band 31.

[0033] The synthetic resin outer lid 3a, regardless of its material, is preferably one that can be molded by a conventionally known method such as injection molding or compression molding using a resin that has been used for molding conventional plastic caps such as olefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene. The metal panel portion 3b for closing the opening can be made of a known metal, but is preferably formed from a metal sheet such as a tinplate or a chromium-plated steel sheet from the viewpoint of handleability.

[0034] The capped container 1 of the present invention is sealed by a screw structure by means of methods such as winding and capping. Usually, it is manufactured by winding a cap 3 around the mouth and neck portion 11 of the container 2.

[0035] In the closed lid state after winding of the capped container 1 of the present invention, the positional relationship between the container 2 and the cap 3 is generally defined by the winding angle. The winding angle is a value set according to various conditions such as the screw structure (single - thread screw, multi - thread screw, etc.), the structure of the sealing portion (inner ring seal, packing seal, etc.), or the required sealing degree.

[0036] After filling the contents, capping is performed by setting the winding angle to a predetermined value and capping with a constant winding torque by a machine to achieve sealing. However, even when the winding torque is set to a constant value, there may be a certain deviation (increase or decrease) from the set value (central value) of the winding angle. This is due to dimensional errors during the manufacture of the container 2 and the cap 3, or the influence of expansion and contraction of the material due to the temperature environment during filling, etc. Because the ease of capping changes due to frictional force, etc. Therefore, the winding angle allowed during capping is set within a range such as a lower limit, a center, and an upper limit. Even when there is a slight deviation from the central value, in order to prevent the intrusion of insects, it is necessary that the gap between the male screw ridges 13 formed on the container 2 and the female screw ridges 23 formed on the cap 3 is very small.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the female screw - engaging ridges 24 formed on the inner surface of the cap 3 and the male screw - engaging ridges 14 formed on the container 2 when the winding angle is (a) 200°, (b) 215°, and (c) 230° in the case of a three - thread screw in the capped container 1 of the present invention. The solid line indicates the female screw - engaging ridges 24 formed on the cap 3, and the broken line indicates the male screw - engaging ridges 14 formed on the container 2. In the case shown in FIG. 5, taking the right - hand end (the starting part of the screw of the cap) in the figure as 0°, the winding angle of 200° is the lower limit value, the winding angle of 215° is the central value, and the winding angle of 230° is the upper limit value. In this figure, the thread width of the thick thread region 24a of the female screw engaging rib is 1.6 mm, the thread width of the normal thread region 24b is 1.4 mm, and the thread width of the thick thread region 24a is 114% of the thread width of the normal thread region 24b.

[0038] Figure 6 shows cross-sectional views of the capped container 1 at the A-A cross-section of 190° at a winding angle of (a) 200°, the B-B cross-section of 205° at a winding angle of (b) 215°, and the C-C cross-section of 220° at a winding angle of (c) 230°, with the right end of Figure 5 being 0°. As shown in Figure 6, it can be seen that the gap between the male screw threads 13 formed on the container 2 and the female screw threads 23 formed on the cap 3 is sufficiently small in any case of the winding angle. Therefore, in the capped container 1 as shown in the figure, when capping is performed with 215° as the set value (central value) of the winding angle, even if there is a deviation from the central value in the winding angle, as long as the winding angle falls within the allowable range of 200° to 230°, the gap between the male screw threads 13 formed on the container 2 and the female screw threads 23 formed on the cap 3 can be made sufficiently small, and it is possible to effectively prevent the invasion of insects.

[0039] Also, the gap between the male screw threads 13 formed on such a container 2 and the female screw threads 23 formed on the cap 3 is defined by two intervals: the interval (interval A) from the radially leading end of the thick thread region 24a to the protruding portion, and the interval (interval B) from the lower surface of the thick thread region 24a to the upper surface of the male screw engaging rib 14 located below the protruding portion 18. The interval (interval A) from the radially leading end of the thick thread region 24a to the protruding portion 18 is preferably 0.05 to 0.5 mm, and particularly preferably 0.05 to 0.3 mm. When interval A is less than 0.05 mm, screwing may not be performed smoothly and sufficient capping may not be possible compared to when it is within the above range. When interval A is greater than 0.5 mm, depending on the size of the insect, it may become a size that allows invasion, and there is a possibility that the invasion of insects cannot be effectively prevented. The distance (distance B) from the lower surface of the large screw region 24a to the upper surface of the male screw engaging ridge 14 located below the protrusion 18 is preferably 0.05 to 0.5 mm, and particularly preferably 0.05 to 0.3 mm. When the distance B is less than 0.05 mm, the screwing may not be performed smoothly and there is a risk that sufficient capping cannot be achieved compared to the case where it is within the above range. When the distance B is greater than 0.5 mm, although it depends on the size of the insect, it may become a size that allows the insect to enter, and there is a possibility that the entry of the insect cannot be effectively prevented.

[0040] The capped container 1 of the present invention is not limited to the specific examples shown in the figures as long as the screw threads formed on the container 2 and the cap 3 satisfy the above-described aspects, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the specific example shown in the figure, the cap is a composite cap composed of a combination of a synthetic resin outer lid 3a and a metal panel portion 3b, but it is not limited thereto, and it may be a metal or synthetic resin cap in which the top wall 21 and the skirt wall 22 are integrally formed. Also, in the specific example shown in the figure, the screw engaging ridges formed on the cap 2 and the container 3 respectively are three in number, but it is not limited thereto, and the number of screw engaging ridges, such as one or two, can be determined according to the height of the cap in order to adjust the turning angle for opening the cap.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0041] 1: Capped container, 2: Container, 3: Cap, 3a: Synthetic resin outer lid, 3b: Metal panel portion, 11: Neck portion, 12: Bottom portion, 13: Male screw thread, 14: Male screw engaging ridge, 15: Overlap portion, 16: Starting end portion, 17: Terminal end portion, 18: Protrusion, 21: Top wall, 22: Cylindrical skirt wall, 23: Female screw thread, 24: Female screw engaging ridge, 24a: Large screw region, 24b: Normal screw region, 25: Sealing material, 26: Opening, 28: Outer curl, 31: Tamper-evident band (TE band), 32: Weakening portion, 33: Annular locking jaw portion, 34: Locking protrusion, 41: Effective screw portion of the female screw engaging ridge, 42: Incomplete screw portion of the female screw engaging ridge, 51: Distance A, 52: Distance B

Claims

1. A capped container comprising a container having a cylindrical neck portion and a bottom portion, with male threads formed on the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion, and a cap attached to the neck portion. The cap includes a top wall and a cylindrical skirt wall hanging down from the periphery of the top wall. Female threads are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt wall for screwing with the male threads. The male threads are composed of one or more male screw engaging ridges. One male screw engaging ridge and an adjacent male screw engaging ridge have an overlapping portion where both exist in the axial direction. A protrusion is formed in a part of the recess between one male screw engaging ridge and the adjacent male screw engaging ridge in the overlapping portion. The female threads are composed of one or more female screw engaging ridges, and the female screw engaging ridges have a thick screw region where the screw width is thick. A capped container, characterized in that in the closed state, the upper surface of the thick screw region abuts against the lower surface of the male screw engaging ridge located above the protrusion.

2. The capped container according to Claim 1, wherein the thick screw region is formed at the terminal portion of at least the effective screw portion of the female screw engaging ridge.

3. The capped container according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the overlapping portion is formed at the start end portion of one male screw engaging ridge and the terminal end portion of the male screw engaging ridge adjacent to the one male screw engaging ridge.

4. The capped container according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance from the radially leading end portion of the thick screw region to the protrusion is 0.05 to 0.3 mm.

5. The capped container according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance from the lower surface of the thick screw region to the upper surface of the male screw engaging ridge located below the protrusion is 0.05 to 0.3 mm.

6. The capped container according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the male threads are composed of three male screw engaging ridges, and the female threads are composed of three female screw engaging ridges.

7. The capped container according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the cap is a composite cap composed of a synthetic resin outer lid having an opening on the top surface and a metal panel portion for closing the opening.

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