Cap

Abstract

To provide a cap allowed to change over an amount of delivery of a content by a simple operation and, even if small or large in amount, eject the content easily.SOLUTION: A cap 1 comprises: an inside plug 2 that is mounted on a mouth 11 of a container 10; and a cap body 3 that has a delivery port 3g to discharge a content received in the container 10 and attached rotatably with respect to the inside plug 2. The cap body 3 comprises: a top wall 3e provided with the delivery port 3g and positioned above the inside plug 2; a partition wall 3h having a bottomed cylindrical form and connecting to the top wall 3e below the delivery port 3g; and a communication port 3m provided in the partition wall 3h and communicating with the delivery port 3g. The inside plug 2 comprises a lid-cover wall 2m to be opposed to the communication port 3m with a gap, and the cap body 3 rotates between a first delivery position where the lid-cover wall 2m is opposed to the communication port 3m with a gap and a second delivery position where the lid-cover wall 2m is not opposed to the communication port 3m.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap that is attached to the mouth of a container and used.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, caps that are attached to the mouth of a container and used are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). For a container equipped with such a cap, by turning the discharge port provided in the cap downward and pressing the container as needed, the contents stored in the container can be discharged from the discharge port.

[0003] Also, in such a cap, it is known that by providing a rectifying cylinder below the discharge port, it is possible to suppress the problem that the contents are scattered and discharged (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Since the contents flow through a narrowed flow path in a cap equipped with such a rectifying cylinder, the discharge amount of the contents can be reduced, so that a small amount of the contents can be easily discharged.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, even when using a cap that is advantageous for discharging a small amount of the contents as described above, depending on the usage situation, there may be a case where a large amount of the contents needs to be discharged. In this case, to discharge a large amount of the contents, the container has to be strongly and continuously squeezed.

[0006] In view of such points, an object of the present invention is to provide a cap that can switch the discharge amount of the content by a simple operation and can easily discharge the content regardless of whether it is a small amount or a large amount.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present invention is a cap comprising an inner stopper attached to the mouth portion of a container, and a cap body having a discharge port for discharging the content accommodated in the container and rotatably attached to the inner stopper. The cap body includes a top wall provided with the discharge port and located above the inner stopper, a partition wall having a bottomed cylindrical shape and connected to the top wall below the discharge port, and a communication port provided in the partition wall and communicating with the discharge port. The inner stopper includes a covering wall that can face the communication port with a gap. The cap body is a cap that rotates between a first discharge position where the covering wall faces the communication port with a gap and a second discharge position where the covering wall does not face the communication port.

[0008] The partition wall has a peripheral wall that surrounds the discharge port and extends downward. The communication port has a peripheral wall communication port that penetrates the peripheral wall. The covering wall preferably has a peripheral side covering wall that faces the peripheral wall communication port with a gap when the cap body is rotated to the first discharge position.

[0009] The partition wall has a bottom wall located directly below the discharge port. The communication port has a bottom wall communication port that penetrates the bottom wall. The covering wall preferably has a bottom side covering wall that faces the bottom wall communication port with a gap when the cap body is rotated to the first discharge position.

[0010] Furthermore, it includes a hinge provided on the rear side of the cap body, and a lid body connected to the cap body via the hinge and covering the discharge port when the lid is closed. It is preferable that the area of the communication port located on the rear side is larger than the area of the region located on the front side.

[0011] Furthermore, a pouring cylinder connected to the top wall above the discharge port is provided. It is preferable that the part located at the center of the front side of the pouring cylinder is located above the part located at the center of the rear side.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] The cap of the present invention has a cap body rotatably attached to an inner stopper attached to the mouth of a container. When the cap body is rotated to the first discharge position, the above-described covering wall faces the communication port with a gap, narrowing the flow path of the content, so that a small amount of the content can be easily discharged. When the cap body is rotated to the second discharge position, the covering wall is not opposed to the communication port, and the narrowed flow path of the content expands, so that a large amount of the content can be easily discharged.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, a cap 1 which is an embodiment of the cap according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The cap 1 of the present embodiment includes an inner stopper 2, a cap body 3, a lid body 4, and a hinge 5. The cap 1 is configured to be attached to a container 10. The cap body 3 is rotatable about the central axis C1 of the cap 1 shown in FIG. 1 with respect to the inner stopper 2.

[0015] In the following description, the cap 1 is mounted on the container 10, and the orientation in the state where the container 10 is placed on a horizontal plane will be described. Specifically, the direction along the central axis C1 is defined as the vertical direction, the side where the cap 1 is located with respect to the container 10 is "up", and the opposite side is "down". The radial direction is the direction orthogonal to the central axis C1 within a plane perpendicular to the central axis C1, and the circumferential direction is the direction that circulates around the central axis C1 within this plane. Also, "rear" is the side where the hinge 5 is located within a plane perpendicular to the central axis C1, and "front" is the opposite side thereof.

[0016] Here, FIG. 2 is a bottom view in the state where the rotatable cap body 3 is located at the first discharge position. For convenience of explanation, a rectangular coordinate system with the central axis C1 as the origin in the bottom view is defined as the X, Y1 coordinate system. In this state, the central part of the hinge 5 is located on the X-axis.

[0017] And what is indicated by the reference C2 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is the central axis of the discharge port 3g provided in the cap body 3. For convenience of explanation, a rectangular coordinate system with the central axis C2 as the origin in the bottom view is defined as the X, Y2 coordinate system.

[0018] First, the container 10 will be described. The container 10 has a bottomed cylindrical shape and includes a cylindrical mouth portion 11 with an open upper part. On the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 11, a container-side claw portion 12 that protrudes radially outward is provided.

[0019] The inner stopper 2 includes a cylindrical mounting cylinder 2a formed so as to surround the mouth portion 11. At the lower end portion of the mounting cylinder 2a, an inner stopper-side claw portion 2b that protrudes radially inward is provided. In the inner stopper 2 of the present embodiment, when it is plugged onto the container 10, the inner stopper-side claw portion 2b engages with the container-side claw portion 12 and is mounted on the container 10. Note that although the inner stopper 2 of the present embodiment is of the plugging type, the inner stopper according to the present invention also includes a screw type that is adapted to be mounted on a container provided with male threads on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion.

[0020] On the outer peripheral surface of the mounting cylinder 2a, as shown in FIG. 1, an annular stepped portion 2c with a smaller diameter at the lower part than at the upper part is provided. Further, on the front side of the outer peripheral surface of the mounting cylinder 2a, a middle plug stopper 2d that partially protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the mounting cylinder 2a is provided.

[0021] At the upper end of the mounting cylinder 2a, an annular top wall 2e extending radially inward is provided, and at the inner edge of the top wall 2e, a cylindrical middle plug seal wall 2f extending downward is provided. When the middle plug 2 is mounted on the container 10, the middle plug seal wall 2f is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mouth portion 11 and has a function of preventing the leakage of the contents contained in the container 10.

[0022] And at the lower end of the middle plug seal wall 2f, an extending wall 2g shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided. The extending wall 2g of the present embodiment is plate-shaped as shown in FIG. 1 and has a rectangular shape in bottom view as shown in FIG. 2, and extends horizontally from the middle plug seal wall 2f. More specifically, the root portion 2h where the extending wall 2g is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the middle plug seal wall 2f (the central portion in the width direction of the extending wall 2g is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the middle plug seal wall 2f) is located at the rear side of the middle plug 2 as shown in FIG. 2 (specifically, in the X, Y1 coordinate system shown in FIG. 2, it is located at a position where the angle is about 300° with the X-axis as the base point), and the extending wall 2g extends linearly from this root portion 2h toward the central axis C2.

[0023] On the extending wall 2g, a circumferential side covering wall 2j extending upward as shown in FIG. 1 is provided. The circumferential side covering wall 2j of the present embodiment is arc-shaped in bottom view as shown in FIG. 2. Here, The portion of the extending wall 2g located on the tip side of the circumferential side covering wall 2j is referred to as a bottom side covering wall 2k. Also, the general term for the circumferential side covering wall 2j and the bottom side covering wall 2k is a covering wall 2m.

[0024] The cap body 3 includes a cylindrical outer peripheral wall 3a formed so as to surround the mounting cylinder 2a. At the lower end of the outer peripheral wall 3a, a main body side claw portion 3b protruding radially inward is provided. By pushing the outer peripheral wall 3a into the mounting cylinder 2a, the main body side claw portion 3b engages with the annular step portion 2c. In this state, the cap body 3 is rotatable with respect to the middle plug 2, and is retained against removal from the middle plug 2 by the main body side claw portion 3b and the annular step portion 2c.

[0025] Also, on the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral wall 3a, a first main body stopper 3c and a second main body stopper 3d that partially protrude radially inward are provided. The first main body stopper 3c and the second main body stopper 3d have a function of stopping the rotation of the cap body 3 with respect to the middle plug 2 by contacting the middle plug stopper 2d. In the present embodiment, when the cap body 3 is rotated to the position (first discharge position) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first main body stopper 3c contacts the middle plug stopper 2d, and when the cap body 3 is rotated to the position (second discharge position) shown in FIG. 3, the second main body stopper 3d contacts the middle plug stopper 2d.

[0026] And at the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 3a, a top wall 3e extending horizontally above the middle plug 2 is provided. On the lower surface of the top wall 3e, inside the radial direction of the middle plug seal wall 2f, a main body seal wall 3f extending downward is provided. The main body seal wall 3f slidably contacts the inner peripheral surface of the middle plug seal wall 2f.

[0027] The top wall 3e includes a discharge port 3g penetrating the top wall 3e. The discharge port 3g of the present embodiment is circular with the central axis C2 as the center and is provided on the front side of the top wall 3e. Also, the top wall 3e includes a bottomed cylindrical partition wall 3h located below the discharge port 3g. The partition wall 3h of the present embodiment has a bottom wall 3j that is circular in plan view and is located directly below the discharge port 3g, and a peripheral wall 3k that surrounds the discharge port 3g and extends downward from the lower surface of the top wall 3e and connects to the outer edge of the bottom wall 3j.

[0028] At the adjacent side, there is a communication port 3m with a shape that notches this. As shown in FIG. 2, the communication port 3m of this embodiment is located at the rear side of the partition wall 3h. To explain in more detail, the communication port 3m is provided in a range where the angle is about 270° to 360° with the X-axis as the base point in the X, Y2 coordinate system shown in FIG. 2. In other words, all regions of the communication port 3m of this embodiment are located at the rear side.

[0029] Moreover, the communication port 3m of this embodiment includes a bottom wall communication port 3n that notches the bottom wall 3j and a peripheral wall communication port 3p that notches the peripheral wall 3k. As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom wall communication port 3n faces the bottom covering wall 2k with a gap. And the peripheral wall communication port 3p faces the peripheral covering wall 2j with a gap as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0030] Furthermore, the cap body 3 includes a pouring cylinder 3q that connects to the top wall 3e above the discharge port 3g. The pouring cylinder 3q of this embodiment is cylindrical, and the upper end portion is curved outward in the radial direction to form a lip. Also, in the pouring cylinder 3q of this embodiment, the part located at the front center as shown in FIG. 1 (the front part that intersects the X-axis in the X, Y1 coordinate system shown in FIG. 2) is located above the part located at the rear center (the rear part that intersects the X-axis in the X, Y1 coordinate system shown in FIG. 2).

[0031] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the cap body 3 includes an engaging portion 3r that engages with the lid body 4 on the upper surface of the top wall 3e.

[0032] The lid body 4 includes a lid body top wall 4a located above the top wall 3e and a lid body outer peripheral wall 4b that extends downward from the outer edge of the lid body top wall 4a. On the inner peripheral surface of the lid body outer peripheral wall 4b, a lid body engaging portion 4c that engages with the engaging portion 3r when the lid body 4 is closed is provided as shown in FIG. 1. Also, on the front outer peripheral surface of the lid body outer peripheral wall 4b, a knob portion 4d that extends outward in the radial direction is provided.

[0033] Furthermore, the lid body 4 is provided with a cylindrical lid body seal wall 4e extending downward from the lower surface of the lid body top wall 4a. As shown in FIG. 1, when the lid body 4 is closed, the lid body seal wall 4e is inserted into the pouring cylinder 3q and contacts the inner peripheral surface of the pouring cylinder 3q.

[0034] The hinge 5 is thin and bendable. One end of the hinge 5 is connected to the upper rear end of the outer peripheral wall 3a, and the other end is connected to the lower rear end of the lid body outer peripheral wall 4b. When a finger is placed on the knob 4d and pushed up, the lid body 4 can be opened while stretching the bent hinge 5.

[0035] When discharging the content from the container 10 with such a cap 1 attached, if a small amount is to be discharged, the cap body 3 is rotated to the first discharge position shown in FIG. 2. Then, the lid body 4 is opened and the container 10 is tilted, and the container 10 is squeezed if necessary. When the lid body 4 is opened, since the lid body 4 connected to the hinge 5 is located behind the cap body 3, the user can tilt the container 10 with the front side of the pouring cylinder 3q facing downward without being conscious of it. In this state, the bottom wall communication port 3n faces the bottom side covering wall 2k with a gap, and the peripheral wall communication port 3p faces the peripheral side covering wall 2j with a gap. That is, the flow path from the container 10 to the discharge port 3g is narrowed in the middle, and the amount of the content flowing through this flow path is limited, so that the content can be discharged in a small amount. Also, when the container 10 is tilted with the front side of the pouring cylinder 3q facing downward, the bottom wall communication port 3n and the peripheral wall communication port 3p are located above the partition wall 3h. That is, in this state, these communication ports are not provided on the inner peripheral surface located below the partition wall 3h, and therefore, the flow of the content is not disturbed. Also, the length of the front side of the pouring cylinder 3q is long, and therefore, the tip of the pouring cylinder 3q can be brought close to the place where the discharge is desired, so that a small amount of the content can be discharged to the intended place.

[0036] On the other hand, when it is desired to discharge a large amount of the content, the cap body 3 is rotated to the second discharge position shown in FIG. 3. In this state, the bottom covering wall 2k is not opposed to the bottom wall communication port 3n, and the peripheral covering wall 2j is not opposed to the peripheral wall communication port 3p, and there is nothing to block in front of the bottom wall communication port 3n and the peripheral wall communication port 3p. That is, since the flow path from the container 10 toward the discharge port 3g is wider than that in the first discharge position shown in FIG. 2, the lid 4 is opened, the container 10 is tilted, and if necessary, the container 10 is squeezed, whereby a large amount of the content can be discharged.

[0037] As described above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such a specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims unless otherwise particularly limited in the above description. For example, the configuration of the above-described embodiment can be appropriately added or deleted, and the configuration of one embodiment can also be provided in another embodiment. Further, the effects in the above-described embodiment are merely examples of the effects resulting from the present invention, and do not mean that the effects according to the present invention are limited to the above effects.

[0038] For example, the communication port 3m of the present embodiment includes the bottom wall communication port 3n and the peripheral wall communication port 3p, but those having only one of them are also included in the present invention. Further, the extending wall 2g is not limited to that shown in the figure. For example, the position of the base portion 2h may be changed from the above-described angle, and the shape in plan view can also be changed to other shapes (for example, an arc shape). Furthermore, the range where the communication port 3m is located can also be changed from the above-described angle. Also, the region of the communication port 3m is not limited to that all located on the rear side, and can be appropriately changed. When changing the region of the communication port 3m, it is preferable to set the region located on the rear side to be larger than the region located on the front side so as to effectively exhibit the function of suppressing the disturbance of the flow of the content described above.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0039] 1: Cap 2: Inner stopper 2a: Mounting cylinder 2b: Middle plug side claw part 2c: Annular step part 2d: Middle plug stopper 2e: Top wall 2f: Middle plug seal wall 2g: Extended wall 2h: Root part 2j: Peripheral side covering wall 2k: Bottom side covering wall 2m: Covering wall 3: Cap body 3a: Outer peripheral wall 3b: Body side claw part 3c: First body stopper 3d: Second body stopper 3e: Top wall 3f: Body seal wall 3g: Discharge port 3h: Partition wall 3j: Bottom wall 3k: Peripheral wall 3m: Communication port 3n: Bottom wall communication port 3p: Peripheral wall communication port 3q: Pouring cylinder 3r: Engaging part 4: Cover body 4a: Cover body top wall 4b: Cover body outer peripheral wall 4c: Cover body engaging part 4d: Knob part 4e: Cover body seal wall 5: Hinge 10: Container 11: Mouth part 12: Container side claw part C1: Central axis C2: Central axis

Claims

1. A cap comprising a stopper attached to the mouth of a container and a cap body having a discharge port for discharging the contents contained in the container and rotatably attached to the stopper, wherein the cap body includes a top wall provided with the discharge port and located above the stopper, a partition wall having a bottomed cylindrical shape and connected to the top wall below the discharge port, and a communication port provided in the partition wall and communicating with the discharge port, the stopper includes a covering wall that can face the communication port with a gap therebetween, and the cap body is a cap that rotates between a first discharge position where the covering wall faces the communication port with a gap therebetween and a second discharge position where the covering wall does not face the communication port.

2. The partition wall has a peripheral wall that surrounds the discharge port and extends downward, the communication port has a peripheral wall communication port that penetrates the peripheral wall, and the covering wall has a peripheral side covering wall that faces the peripheral wall communication port with a gap therebetween when the cap body is rotated to the first discharge position. The cap according to claim 1.

3. The partition wall has a bottom wall located directly below the discharge port, the communication port has a bottom wall communication port that penetrates the bottom wall, and the covering wall has a bottom side covering wall that faces the bottom wall communication port with a gap therebetween when the cap body is rotated to the first discharge position. The cap according to claim 1.

4. Furthermore, it includes a hinge provided on the rear side of the cap body and a lid body connected to the cap body via the hinge and covering the discharge port when closed, wherein the communication port has a larger area in the region located on the rear side than in the region located on the front side. The cap according to claim 1.

5. Furthermore, it includes a pouring cylinder connected to the top wall above the discharge port, and in the pouring cylinder, the portion located at the center of the front side is located above the portion located at the center of the rear side. The cap according to claim 4.

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