Hinge cap

Abstract

To provide a hinge cap that can ensure not only the sealing property of an opening when the cap is unopened during transportation but also the sealing property when the cap is re-closed after opening.SOLUTION: A hinge cap includes: a support ring 2 attached to a container 100 so as to surround an outer peripheral surface of an opening 103; a cap body 3 connected to the support ring 2 via a hinge 5 and disposed on an upper surface of the opening 103; and an opening band 4 connected to the support ring 2 and the cap body 3 via a thin weakened part 41, respectively, and holding the cap body 3 in an unopened state, while torn along the thin weakened part 41 to release the connection between the support ring 2 and the cap body 3, thereby holding the cap body 3 in an opened state, wherein the cap body 3 has an inner ring 33 that is detachably fitted inside the opening 103 of the container 100 to close the opening 103 when the cap body 3 is in an open state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinged cap that is attached to the opening of a container. [Background technology]

[0002] A hinge cap such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been known for some time. This hinge cap includes a base tubular portion that fits onto the outer surface of the mouth and neck of a container, an intermediate tubular portion that extends upward from the base tubular portion, and a cap tubular portion with a top whose lower peripheral end is connected to the upper peripheral end of the intermediate tubular portion. The intermediate tubular portion includes a hinge portion and an opening band that connect the base tubular portion and the cap tubular portion, and is configured so that the cap tubular portion can be opened and closed via the hinge portion by removing the opening band at the start of use. This type of hinge cap is widely used in retail stores and the like because it allows visual confirmation of whether a product has been opened by checking whether the opening band is present or not, thereby preventing tampering. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-172290 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Many of these hinge caps have an inner ring that hangs down from the underside of the top wall of the cap, and are configured so that the inner ring fits along the inner circumferential surface of the opening of a container, thereby keeping the opening tightly sealed. However, when the hinge cap is applied to a resin container for storing contents that require a wide opening (opening), such as jam, sauce with ingredients, or granular materials like coffee, the sealing between the inner ring of the cap and the opening (inner diameter of the opening) is poor, and there is a risk of the contents leaking due to vibrations or impacts during transportation, etc.

[0005] For this reason, some containers are designed so that an aluminum sheet or film is attached to the opening of the container to seal the opening before use, such as during transportation, and the aluminum sheet is then removed when the container is first used. However, if an aluminum sheet or the like is attached to the opening, an inner ring cannot be attached to the underside of the top wall of the cap (because the inner ring would interfere with the aluminum sheet or the like), which creates the problem of poor sealing when the container is recapped after use.

[0006] Therefore, in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention aims to provide a hinge cap that can ensure not only the sealing of the opening when unopened, such as during transportation, but also the sealing when reclosing after opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The hinge cap of the present invention, which was developed to achieve the above object, a support ring attached to the outer peripheral surface of the opening of the container so as to surround the outer peripheral surface; a cap body connected to the support ring via a hinge and disposed on an upper surface of the opening of the container; an opening band that is connected to the support ring and the cap body via thin weakened portions, respectively, and that holds the cap body in an unopened state, and that releases the connection between the support ring and the cap body by tearing along the thin weakened portions, thereby holding the cap body in an opened state; The cap body has an inner ring that is detachably fitted inside the opening of the container to close the opening when the cap body is in an open state.

[0008] In the hinge cap of the present invention, it is preferable that the cap body be rotatable around the hinge when the cap body is held in an open state, and that the hinge bends outward and retracts when the inner ring is fitted into the opening of the container.

[0009] In the hinge cap of the present invention, the opening of the container preferably has a sealing sheet that is peelably attached to seal the opening.

[0010] In the hinge cap of the present invention, it is preferable that the hinge cap has a buckling prevention mechanism that increases resistance to a load from above the cap body when the cap body is in an unopened state.

[0011] In addition, in the hinge cap of the present invention, it is preferable that the buckling prevention mechanism consists of one or more ribs provided on the inner surface of the opening band and engaging with the open end of the opening to prevent the opening band from wobbling relative to the outer surface of the opening.

[0012] Furthermore, in the hinge cap of the present invention, it is preferable that the buckling prevention mechanism comprises an upright wall that rises along the inner surface of the opening band and whose tip portion can be removably fitted to the outer surface of the inner ring, and an inner lid that is connected to the base of the upright wall and removably fits into the opening to keep the opening sealed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The hinge cap of the present invention comprises a support ring attached to the outer peripheral surface of the container opening, a cap body placed on the top surface of the container opening, and a tear-off band disposed between the support ring and the cap body via a thin, weakened portion. To begin use, the tear-off band is removed by tearing along the thin, weakened portion, allowing the cap body to be opened and closed. When unopened, a gap equal to the thickness of the tear-off band is formed between the container opening and the cap body. This allows a sealing sheet such as an aluminum sheet to be placed over the container opening to seal the container, while an inner ring can be placed on the cap body without interfering with the sealing sheet. Therefore, the hinge cap of the present invention not only ensures a seal around the opening when the container is unopened, such as during transportation, but also ensures a seal when the inner ring fits into the opening after opening and reclosing.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the hinge cap of the present invention, when the inner ring is fitted into the opening of the container, the hinge connecting the support ring and the cap body is configured to retract and bend outward, so that after the opening band is torn off along the thin-walled weakened portion and removed, the cap body can be pushed down from above by the thickness of the opening band, allowing the inner ring to be easily fitted into the opening and the lid to be closed.

[0015] Furthermore, according to the hinge cap of the present invention, when the cap body is in an unopened state (when the opening band is connected between the support ring and the cap body), the cap body has a buckling prevention mechanism against loads from above, which prevents the cap body from buckling due to vibrations or impacts during transportation, etc., and prevents the inner ring of the cap body from damaging the sealing sheet provided at the opening of the container, causing liquid leakage, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1]1A, 1B, and 1C are diagrams showing an embodiment of a hinge cap according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view of a container equipped with the hinge cap, FIG. 1B is a front view, and FIG. 1C is a rear view. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge cap taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2(a) is a diagram showing how to open the hinge cap of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(b) is a diagram showing the state after the cap body is opened and the aluminum sheet is peeled off. [Figure 4] 3 is a diagram showing the hinge cap of FIG. 2 in a state where the inner ring of the cap body is fitted into the opening and re-closed. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a view showing another embodiment of the hinge cap according to the present invention, showing a cross section of the hinge cap taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram showing the hinge cap of FIG. 5 in an unsealed state with the cap body opened and the inner lid removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a hinge cap according to the present invention, where (a) is a plan view of a container equipped with the hinge cap, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a back view. Fig. 2 shows a cross section of the hinge cap taken along the line AA in Fig. 1. Fig. 3(a) shows a method for opening the hinge cap of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3(b) shows the state after the cap body has been opened and the aluminum sheet has been peeled off. Fig. 4 shows the state after the hinge cap of Fig. 2 has been resealed by fitting the inner ring of the cap body into the opening.

[0018] Reference numeral 1 denotes a hinge cap, which is composed of a support ring 2 attached to the outer peripheral surface of the opening 103 of the container 100, a cap body 3 placed on the upper surface of the opening 103, an opening band 4 connected to the support ring 2 and the cap body 3 via thin-walled weakened portions 41, and a hinge 5 connecting the support ring 2 and the cap body 3. All of the components of the hinge cap 1 can be manufactured integrally from synthetic resin, but the materials used are not particularly limited. In this specification, the state in which the opening band 4 is connected to the support ring 2 and the cap body 3, respectively, and the cap body 3 cannot be opened or closed, is referred to as the "unopened state," and the state in which the opening band 4 is torn off and removed along the thin-walled weakened portion 41, making the cap body 3 openable and closable, is referred to as the "opened state."

[0019] The container 100 may have any shape as long as it has a bottom wall 101 and a peripheral wall 102 standing from the edge of the bottom wall 101, with the upper part of the peripheral wall 102 comprising an opening 103. The container 100 can be manufactured using a material such as a synthetic resin, but the material is not particularly limited. In addition, in this embodiment, the container 100 is cylindrical, and the opening 103 has a diameter (neck portion) smaller than that of the portion containing the contents, but the shape of the container 100 can be changed as appropriate and is not limited to the shape shown in the figure.

[0020] Additionally, an aluminum sheet 6 is attached to the open end (top surface) of the opening 103. This prevents the contents from leaking out during transportation, etc. The aluminum sheet 6 is adhered or fused in an easily releasable manner so that it can be easily removed by pinching the tab 61 with the fingers and pulling it off, as shown in FIG. 3(b). A synthetic resin film or the like may be used instead of the aluminum sheet 6.

[0021] The support ring 2 surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the opening 103, and is fitted and held to the outer peripheral surface of the opening 103 by undercut fitting a protrusion 21 provided at the lower end of its inner peripheral surface into a protrusion 104 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the opening 103. In addition, below the fitting position between the support ring 2 and the opening 103, there is an annular rib 105 that protrudes outward from the outer peripheral surface of the opening 103, and this annular rib 105 can prevent the support ring 2 from falling off.

[0022] The cap body 3 is disposed on the upper surface of the opening 103 and is connected to the support ring 2 via a hinge 5. The cap body 3 is composed of a top wall 31 and a peripheral wall 32, and an inner ring 33 is suspended from the top wall 31. In the hinge cap 1 according to the present invention, the tear-open band 4 is provided between the cap body 3 and the support ring 2, so that the cap body 3 is positioned higher than the opening 103 by the thickness of the tear-open band 4, and the inner ring 33 of the cap body 3 does not interfere with the aluminum sheet 6 provided in the opening 103, eliminating the risk of the aluminum sheet 6 being damaged by the inner ring 33.

[0023] The cap body 3 has a knob 34 at a position on the peripheral wall 32 opposite the hinge 5, and by pinching the knob 34 with fingers and pulling it up, the cap body 3 can be rotated around the hinge 5 as a starting point.

[0024] The tear band 4 is located between the support ring 2 and the cap body 3, and is connected to the support ring 2 and the cap body 3 via thin weakened portions 41. As shown in Fig. 1(c), the end portions 4a of the tear band 4 are located on both sides of the hinge 5 with the opening 42 in between, and as shown in Fig. 3(a), the tear band 4 can be removed by pinching and pulling the end portion 4a with fingers from either of the openings 42, along the thin weakened portions 41. Note that the tear band 4 may be provided with a tab such as a rib on the end portion 4a so that the tab can be gripped and torn off.

[0025] By removing the opening band 4, the connection between the support ring 2 and the cap body 3 is released, and the cap body 3 can be rotated upward from the hinge 5 as shown in Figure 3(b).Furthermore, by peeling off the aluminum sheet 6 provided at the opening 103 of the container 100, the container can be opened and the contents inside the container 100 can be removed.

[0026] After removing the contents, when the cap body 3 is pushed down toward the opening 103, the hinge 5 retracts outward and bends at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction, thereby allowing the cap body 3 to be easily pushed down to the upper surface of the open end of the opening 103. Furthermore, when the cap body 3 is pushed down, the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall 32 fits along the outer circumferential surface of the opening 103, and the outer circumferential surface of the inner ring 33 fits along and fits into the inner circumferential surface of the opening 103, thereby sealing the opening 103. Note that it is preferable that the hinge 5 has a recess 51, which serves as a bending starting point, at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction so that the hinge 5 can be easily bent as the cap body 3 is pushed down.

[0027] The tear band 4 also has a buckling prevention mechanism consisting of a rib 43 that protrudes inward from the lower end of the inner wall surface of the container 100. The rib 43 engages with the open end of the opening 103, stabilizing the attachment posture of the tear band 4 and the positioning posture of the cap body 3, thereby increasing the resistance of the cap body 4 to loads from above. Therefore, even if vibrations or impacts are applied to the hinge cap 1 in an unopened state, such as during transportation, the cap body 3 will not buckle, preventing the inner ring 33 of the cap body 3 from piercing the aluminum sheet 6 and causing liquid leakage. The rib 43 may be a circumferential rib extending along the tear band 4, or may be a plurality of intermittent ribs arranged at intervals.

[0028] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the hinge cap according to the present invention, showing a cross section of the hinge cap taken along the line AA in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the hinge cap of Fig. 5 in an unsealed state with the cap body opened and the inner lid removed. Below, a description of the same configuration as in the previous embodiment will be omitted.

[0029] In the hinge cap 1 of this embodiment, an inner plug 7 is provided at the open end of the opening 103 of the container 100, which can keep the open end of the opening 103 sealed when the container is unopened, and which also serves as a mechanism for preventing buckling of the cap body 3. The inner plug 7 is made up of an upright wall 71 that rises along the inner peripheral surface of the tear band 4 and whose tip portion can be detachably fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 33 of the cap body 3, and an inner lid 72 that is connected to the base of the upright wall 71 and detachably fits into the opening 103 of the container 100 to keep the opening 103 sealed.

[0030] The inner lid 72 is made up of a bottom wall 72a and a peripheral wall 72b that stands up from the periphery of the bottom wall 72a, and can be fitted into the opening 103 by fitting the outer surface of the peripheral wall 72b along the inner surface of the opening 103 until the lower end of the standing wall 72b abuts against the open end of the opening 103. Because the bottom wall 72a of the inner lid 72 is formed in a flat shape, the holding force with the opening 103 is increased, thereby improving sealing performance.

[0031] A knob 73 is provided at the connecting position between the upright wall 71 and the inner lid 72, and as shown in Figure 6, the inner plug 7 can be easily removed from the opening 103 by pinching and lifting the knob 73 with your fingers.

[0032] Furthermore, since the inner stopper 7 supports the opening band 4 and the cap body 3 with the upright wall 71, it is expected that the cap body 3 will be less likely to buckle even if vibrations or impacts are applied to the hinge cap 1 when it is in an unopened state, such as during transportation. [Industrial Applicability]

[0033] The hinge cap of the present invention can be widely used as a cap for containers that require a particularly wide opening, such as for foods with low fluidity such as jam, honey, and sauce, powdery foods such as coffee, as well as chemicals and pharmaceuticals. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1 Hinge cap 2 support rings 21 Convex part 3 Cap body 31 Top wall 32 Peripheral wall 33 Inner ring 34 Knob 4 Opening band 4a end 41 Thin weakened part 42 Opening 43 Ribs 5 Hinge 51 Recess 6 Aluminum Sheet 61 Knob 7 Inner stopper 71 Standing wall 72 Inner lid 72a bottom wall 72b Peripheral wall 73 Knob 100 containers 101 Bottom wall 102 Peripheral wall 103 Opening 104 Convex part 105 Annular rib

Claims

1. a support ring attached to the outer peripheral surface of the opening of the container so as to surround the outer peripheral surface; a cap body connected to the support ring via a hinge and disposed on an upper surface of the opening of the container; an opening band that is connected to the support ring and the cap body via thin weakened portions, respectively, and that holds the cap body in an unopened state, and that releases the connection between the support ring and the cap body by tearing along the thin weakened portions, thereby holding the cap body in an opened state; A hinge cap characterized in that the cap body has an inner ring that is detachably fitted inside the opening of the container to close the opening when the cap body is in an open state.

2. The hinge cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap body is rotatable around the hinge when the cap body is held in an open state, and the hinge retracts outward and is placed in a bent state when the inner ring is fitted into the opening of the container.

3. 3. The hinge cap according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the container has a sealing sheet that is peelably attached to seal the opening.

4. 3. The hinge cap according to claim 1, wherein the hinge cap has a buckling prevention mechanism that increases resistance to a load from above the cap body when the cap body is in an unopened state.

5. The hinge cap according to claim 4, characterized in that the buckling prevention mechanism is composed of one or more ribs provided on the inner surface of the tearing band and engaging with the open end of the opening to prevent the tearing band from wobbling relative to the outer surface of the opening.

6. The hinge cap described in claim 4, characterized in that the buckling prevention mechanism consists of an upright wall that rises along the inner surface of the opening band and whose tip portion can be removably fitted to the outer surface of the inner ring, and an inner lid that is connected to the base of the upright wall and removably fits into the opening to keep the opening sealed.

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