Cap

Abstract

To provide a cap capable of preventing a malfunction by which a pump part as a pressing member cannot return to an original shape before deformation, while subsequently releasing a push-in operation by a pressing operation part, even when pressing the pressing operation part with excessive force.SOLUTION: A cap body 10 has a top wall 19 that covers a mouth 3 of a container 2. The top wall 19 is provided with a pour-out cylinder 11, and a pressing member 30 for pouring out a content inside the container 2 by dropping the content from the pour-out cylinder 11. The pressing member 30 has a pump part 31 provided on the top wall 19, and a pressing operation part 32 provided at a front end of the pump part 31. The pump part 31 made from a dome-like member internally having a cavity 33 comprises a connection part 35 integrally connected to an outer periphery of the pour-out cylinder 11, and a deformed part 36 exhibiting elasticity. The deformed part 36 provided at a place at least on an opposite side of the connection part 35 in a radial direction 16 of the cap body 10 is deformable on an inner side of the pump part 31, when pressing force acts on the pressing operation part 32, and returns to an original shape before deformation by the elasticity, when the pressing force is released from the pressing operation part 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap that allows the contents of a container to be dispensed dropwise from a dispensing tube. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 16, there is a cap of this type that has a cap body 103 attached to the mouth 102 of a container 101, a closure member 104 attached to the cap body 103, and a lid (not shown) connected to the cap body 103 via a hinge (not shown).

[0003] The cap body 103 is provided with a drip nozzle 106. The closure member 104 is provided with a pressing portion 107 that causes the contents in the container 101 to drip from the drip nozzle 106. The pressing portion 107 has a deformable bending portion 108. The bending portion 108 is formed so that the portion away from the drip nozzle 106 is more easily bent than the portion closer to the drip nozzle 106.

[0004] According to this method, the lid is opened, the container 101 is tilted and held so that the drip nozzle 106 is positioned at the bottom, and the pressing portion 107 is pressed toward the inside of the container 101 as shown by the solid line in Fig. 16. As a result, the pressing portion 107 is pressed with the side closer to the drip nozzle 106 acting as a fulcrum 109, and the bending portion 108 is bent toward the inside of the pressing portion 107, thereby increasing the pressure inside the container 101 and causing the content inside the container 101 to drip from the drip nozzle 106 to the outside. Thereafter, by releasing the pressing operation of the pressing portion 107, the bent portion 108 returns to its original shape before deformation due to its elasticity, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. The above-described cap 100 is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 below. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6526985 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the above-described conventional type, when pressing portion 107 is pressed with excessive force, there is a risk that the portion that serves as fulcrum 109 as well as bent portion 108 of pressing portion 107 will deform and sink inward. If pressing portion 107 deforms more than expected in this way, there is a problem in that pressing portion 107 will not return to its original shape before deformation even when the pressing operation of pressing portion 107 is released.

[0007] Furthermore, since the cap body 103 and the closing member 104 are separate components, the number of components constituting the cap 100 increases, making the configuration of the cap 100 more complex and potentially increasing manufacturing costs.

[0008] To provide a cap that can prevent a problem in which, even if a pressing operation part is pressed with excessive force, the pump part of the pressing member does not return to its original shape before deformation when the pressing operation of the pressing operation part is subsequently released. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the first invention provides a cap having a cap body attached to the mouth of a container, a pouring tube for pouring the contents of the container to the outside, and a lid for opening and closing the pouring tube, The cap body has a top wall that covers the mouth portion, The outlet tube is provided on the top wall, A pressing member is provided on the top wall to drip and dispense the contents from the dispensing tube, The pressing member has a pump portion provided on the top wall and a pressing operation portion provided at a tip of the pump portion, The pump section is a dome-shaped member having a hollow section inside, The cavity of the pump portion communicates with the interior of the container, The pump portion includes a connecting portion integrally connected to the outer periphery of the dispensing tube and an elastic deformable portion, The deformation portion is provided at least on the radially opposite side of the cap body from the connecting portion, and when a pressing force is applied to the pressing operation portion, it can deform toward the inside of the pump portion, and when the pressing force is released from the pressing operation portion, it returns to its original shape before deformation due to its elasticity.

[0010] By opening the lid and applying pressure to the pressing part, the deforming part deforms inward with the connecting part of the pump part as a fulcrum, causing the contents of the container to drip from the dispensing tube to the outside. After that, by releasing the pressure on the pressing part, the deforming part returns to its original shape due to its elasticity, and the dripping of the contents from the dispensing tube stops.

[0011] In the unlikely event that excessive pressure is applied to the pressing operation unit, the deforming portion will deform inward of the pump unit. However, because a portion of the pump unit is integrally connected to the outer periphery of the dispensing tube via the connecting portion, the rigidity of the connecting portion of the pump unit is increased, suppressing deformation of the connecting portion of the pump unit and preventing the pump unit from deforming more than expected. As a result, when the pressing operation of the pressing operation unit is subsequently released, the pump unit returns to its original shape before deformation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the pump unit from failing to return to its original shape before deformation.

[0012] In the cap according to the second aspect of the present invention, the pouring tube and the pressing member are integrally provided on the cap body.

[0013] This reduces the number of parts that make up the cap and simplifies the cap configuration, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0014] In the cap according to the third aspect of the present invention, the pressing operation portion is an operation lever, The operating lever extends from the tip of the pump portion in the direction opposite to the dispensing tube.

[0015] This makes it possible to prevent the contents of the container from adhering to the operating lever when the contents are dripping from the dispensing tube.

[0016] In the cap of the fourth invention, the lid is connected to the cap body via a hinge so as to be freely opened and closed, The dispensing tube is disposed on the side farther from the hinge with respect to an axis passing through the center of the cap body, The operating lever extends from the tip of the pump portion in the direction in which the hinge is provided.

[0017] With this, when the lid is opened, the container is tilted, and the dispensing tube is placed downwards to drip the contents from the dispensing tube, the lid is placed above the dispensing tube, making it easy to operate the operating lever with either the left or right hand.

[0018] In the cap according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a limiting member that limits the range to which the operating lever can be pushed down is provided on the cap body.

[0019] By pushing down the operating lever, the deformation portion deforms inwardly of the pump portion, causing the contents of the container to drip from the dispensing tube to the outside. At this time, even if the operating lever is pushed down with excessive pressure, the range to which the operating lever can be pushed down is limited by the limiting member, so it is possible to prevent the pump portion from deforming more than expected.

[0020] In the cap according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the deformation portion has a step portion, The step portion is set so that the distance from the axis passing through the center of the cap body to the outer circumferential surface of the deformed portion becomes shorter as it goes upward.

[0021] In the cap according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the thickness of the stepped portion is set to become thinner toward the bottom.

[0022] By opening the lid and applying pressure to the pressing operation part, the deforming part deforms inward with the connecting part of the pump part as a fulcrum, causing the contents of the container to drip out from the dispensing tube. At this time, the pump part is unlikely to buckle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] As described above, according to the present invention, even if the pressing operation part is pressed with excessive force, when the pressing operation of the pressing operation part is subsequently released, it is possible to prevent the problem that the pump part of the pressing member does not return to its original shape before deformation. Furthermore, the cap structure is simplified, which reduces manufacturing costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cap according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing an opened state. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cap in the opened state. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a view taken along the arrow AA in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a view taken along the arrow XX in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a view taken along the arrow YY in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cap in the closed state. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cap in the closed state. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a view taken along the arrow BB in FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the cap showing the liquid contents dripping from the dispensing tube. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a cap according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged side view of a cap according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. [Figure 15]FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a cap according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of a conventional cap. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (First embodiment)

[0026] In the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a cap that is attached to, for example, a container 2. The cap 1 has a cap body 10 that is attached to the mouth 3 of the container 2, a dispensing tube 11 that dispenses a content liquid 4 (an example of the content, see Figure 11) contained in the container 2 to the outside, a lid 12 that opens and closes the dispensing tube 11, and the like. The container 2 is made of synthetic resin, glass, etc., which will not deform even when held by a user's hand. A male screw 23 is formed on the outer periphery of the mouth portion 3.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 11, the liquid content 4 may be, for example, chili oil that is dropped from the dispensing tube 11 to the outside, but is not limited to such seasonings.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the direction of the first axis 14 passing through the center of the cap body 10 attached to the container 2 is defined as the up-down direction 15, the direction perpendicular to the first axis 14 is defined as the radial direction 16, and the circumferential direction centered on the first axis 14 is defined as the circumferential direction 17. The lid 12 is connected to the cap body 10 via a hinge 18 so as to be able to be opened and closed freely.

[0029] The cap body 10 has a top wall 19 that covers the tip of the mouth 3 of the container 2 from above, a cylindrical inner tube member 20 that is fitted inside the mouth 3, and a cylindrical outer tube member 21 that is fitted outside the mouth 3. A female thread 22 is formed on the inner periphery of the outer tube member 21. Between the inner cylindrical member 20 and the outer cylindrical member 21, a groove 24 is formed around the entire circumference, the upper end of which is closed by the top wall 19 and the lower end of which is open.

[0030] The male thread 23 of the mouth portion 3 and the female thread 22 of the outer cylindrical member 21 are screwed together, and the tip of the mouth portion 3 is fitted into the groove 24 from below, whereby the cap body 10 is attached to the container 2.

[0031] The pouring tube 11 is a cylindrical member that stands upright on the top wall 19, and has a pouring outlet 27 at its tip that opens to the outside, and a communication port 28 at its base end that opens to the inside of the inner tube member 20.

[0032] The dispensing tube 11 is disposed on the side farther from the hinge 18 with respect to the first axis 14. As a result, the second axis 29 passing through the center of the dispensing tube 11 is eccentric with respect to the first axis 14 on the side farther from the hinge 18.

[0033] A pressing member 30 is provided on the top wall 19 to dispense the content liquid 4 by causing it to drip from the dispensing outlet 27 of the dispensing tube 11. The pressing member 30 has a pump section 31 provided on the top wall 19 and an operating lever 32 (an example of a pressing operating section) provided at the tip of the pump section 31. The pump section 31 is a dome-shaped member having a hollow section 33 therein, and the hollow section 33 communicates with the inside of the inner tube member 20 (i.e., the inside of the container 2). As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 to 7, the pump portion 31 includes a connecting portion 35 integrally connected to the outer periphery of the dispensing tube 11, and a deformable portion 36 having elasticity.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 11, the deformation portion 36 is capable of deforming toward the inside of the pump portion 31 when a pressing force F is applied to the operating lever 32, and is configured to return to its original shape before deformation due to its elasticity when the pressing force F is released from the operating lever 32, as shown in FIG.

[0035] 1 and 5, the deformation portion 36 has a step portion 39. The step portion 39 has a first horizontal wall 40 connected to the top wall 19, a first vertical wall 41 rising upward from the first horizontal wall 40, a second horizontal wall 42 provided at the upper end of the first vertical wall 41, and a second vertical wall 43 rising upward from the second horizontal wall 42.

[0036] 6 and 7, the first vertical wall 41 and the second vertical wall 43 are cylindrical walls each having a D-shaped cross section. As a result, as shown in Fig. 6, the first vertical wall 41 has a straight wall portion 41a that extends straight and curved wall portions 41b that are connected to both ends of the straight wall portion 41a and curved in an arc. Similarly, as shown in Fig. 7, the second vertical wall 43 also has a straight wall portion 43a and a curved wall portion 43b.

[0037] Of these, a part of the straight wall portion 41a of the first vertical wall 41 and a part of the second horizontal wall 42 are integrally connected to the outer periphery of the dispensing tube 11 at the connecting portion 35. The deforming portion 36 is provided at least on the opposite side of the connecting portion 35 in the radial direction 16, and specifically, is provided on the first horizontal wall 40, the curved wall portion 41b, and the second horizontal wall 42.

[0038] 5 to 7, in the step portion 39, distances D1, D2 from the first axis 14 to the outer peripheral surface of the deformed portion 36 are set to become shorter toward the top. That is, the distance D2 from the first axis 14 to the outer peripheral surface of the curved wall portion 43b of the second vertical wall 43 is set to be shorter than the distance D1 from the first axis 14 to the outer peripheral surface of the curved wall portion 41b of the first vertical wall 41.

[0039] The thicknesses T1 to T4 of the step portion 39 are set to become thinner toward the bottom. That is, the thickness T1 of the first horizontal wall 40 is thinner than the thickness T2 of the first vertical wall 41, the thickness T2 of the first vertical wall 41 is thinner than the thickness T3 of the second horizontal wall 42, and the thickness T3 of the second horizontal wall 42 is thinner than the thickness T4 of the second vertical wall 43. As shown in FIG. 1, the base end of the dispensing tube 11 and the pump part 31 are housed inside the outer diameter of the inner cylindrical member 20 .

[0040] 1 to 3, the operating lever 32 extends from the tip of the second vertical wall 43 of the pump part 31 in the direction opposite to the dispensing tube 11, i.e., in the direction where the hinge 18 is provided. A recess 46 is formed on the top surface of the operating lever 32 to prevent the user's fingertip 62 (see FIG. 11) from slipping.

[0041] A limiting member 47 that limits the range to which the operating lever 32 can be pushed down is provided on the top wall 19 of the cap body 10. The limiting member 47 is a flat plate-shaped member located below the tip of the operating lever 32.

[0042] The lid 12 has a disk-shaped lid plate 51 and a peripheral wall 52 provided on the outer periphery of the lid plate 51. A cylindrical protrusion 53 protruding from the back surface of the lid plate 51 is provided on the inside of the lid 12. As shown in Figure 8, when the lid 12 is closed, the protrusion 53 is inserted into the dispensing tube 11 through the spout 27, and the outer periphery of the protrusion 53 comes into close contact with the inner periphery of the dispensing tube 11 over the entire circumference. This creates a seal between the dispensing tube 11 and the lid 12.

[0043] 1, 9, and 10, the cap body 10 and the lid 12 are provided with a holding mechanism 57 that holds the lid 12 at a predetermined opening angle when the lid 12 is open. The holding mechanism 57 has a pair of body-side stoppers 58a, 58b provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube member 21 of the cap body 10, and a lid-side stopper 59 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 52 of the lid 12.

[0044] The body side stoppers 58a, 58b and the lid side stopper 59 are arranged on the same side as the hinge 18, and the lid side stopper 59 can be freely engaged and disengaged between the pair of body side stoppers 58a, 58b depending on whether the lid 12 is opened or closed.

[0045] When the lid 12 is opened to a predetermined degree as shown in FIG. 11, the lid side stopper 59 fits into and engages with the pair of body side stoppers 58a, 58b as shown by the imaginary lines in FIG. 10, thereby holding the lid 12 at the predetermined opening degree. The cap 1 is a molded product made of resin such as polyethylene, and the dispensing tube 11 and the pressing member 30 are integrally provided on the cap body 10. In this case, it is desirable to use a resin having a flexural modulus of elasticity of 100 to 200 MPa. The operation of the above configuration will now be described.

[0046] As shown in Figure 11, the user opens the lid 12, tilts the container 2, and then presses down the operating lever 32 with the fingertip 62. This causes the deforming part 36 to deform inward of the pump part 31, with the connecting part 35 of the pump part 31 as a fulcrum, and the pressure inside the container 2 increases, causing the content liquid 4 inside the container 2 to drip out from the spout 27 of the dispensing tube 11. At this time, the amount of the dripping content liquid 4 dispensed is approximately proportional to the amount of deformation of the deforming part 36.

[0047] Thereafter, by removing the fingertip 62 from the operating lever 32 and releasing the pressure F on the operating lever 32, the deforming portion 36 returns to its original shape before deformation (see Figures 1 and 5) due to its elasticity, and the dripping of the content liquid 4 from the spout 27 stops.

[0048] Furthermore, when the operating lever 32 is pressed down with the fingertip 62 as described above, even if the operating lever 32 is pressed down with excessive pressing force F, the deforming portion 36 deforms inward of the pump portion 31. However, because a part of the pump portion 31 is integrally connected to the outer periphery of the dispensing tube 11 via the connecting portion 35, the rigidity of the connecting portion 35 is increased, deformation of the connecting portion 35 is suppressed, and it is possible to prevent the pump portion 31 from deforming more than expected. As a result, when the pressing force F on the operating lever 32 is subsequently released, the pump portion 31 returns to its original shape before deformation (see FIGS. 1 and 5). This makes it possible to prevent a problem in which the pump portion 31 does not return to its original shape before deformation.

[0049] Furthermore, even if the operating lever 32 is pressed down with an excessive pressing force F, as shown in Figure 11, the operating lever 32 comes into contact with the tip of the limiting member 47, and the range to which the operating lever 32 can be pressed down is limited by the limiting member 47. This makes it possible to prevent the pump section 31 from being deformed more than expected.

[0050] 11, when the lid 12 is opened to a predetermined opening degree, the lid-side stopper 59 fits between and engages the pair of body-side stoppers 58a, 58b (see the imaginary lines in FIG. 10), so the lid 12 is held at the predetermined opening degree. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the dispensing tube 11 is disposed on the side farther from the hinge 18 with respect to the first axis 14, and the operating lever 32 extends in the direction in which the hinge 18 is provided. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, when the container 2 is tilted with the lid 12 held at the predetermined opening degree and the dispensing tube 11 is placed downward to drip the content liquid 4 from the dispensing tube 11, the lid 12 is placed above the dispensing tube 11, so the operating lever 32 can be easily operated with the fingertips 62 of either the left or right hand. Furthermore, when the liquid content 4 drips from the dispensing tube 11, the liquid content 4 can be prevented from adhering to the operating lever 32 or the fingertip 62.

[0051] Furthermore, since the dispensing tube 11 and the pressing member 30 are integrally formed in the cap body 10, the number of parts constituting the cap 1 is reduced, simplifying the configuration of the cap 1 and reducing the manufacturing costs, for example, when the cap 1 is injection molded.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the thickness T3 of the second horizontal wall 42 is set to be thinner than the thickness T4 of the second vertical wall 43 and thicker than the thickness T2 of the first vertical wall 41 (thickness T2 < thickness T3 < thickness T4). Therefore, when the deformation portion 36 deforms toward the inside of the pump portion 31 with the connecting portion 35 as a fulcrum, the pump portion 31 is less likely to buckle for the following reasons. That is, when the operating lever 32 is pressed down, stress is concentrated at the corner portion C1 where the second horizontal wall 42 and the second vertical wall 43 are connected, but since the thickness T3 of the second horizontal wall 42 is thicker than the thickness T2 of the first vertical wall 41, the strength of the corner portion C1 is increased, thereby making the pump section 31 less likely to buckle. Furthermore, since the thickness T1 of the first horizontal wall 40 is thinner than the thickness T2 of the first vertical wall 41 (thickness T1 < thickness T2), when the operating lever 32 is pressed down, the deformation portion 36 is easily deformed toward the inside of the pump portion 31, and the content liquid 4 in the container 2 can be reliably dripped to the outside from the pouring outlet 27 of the pouring tube 11. Furthermore, the stress generated when the operating lever 32 is pressed down is distributed to two corner portions C1 and C2: the corner portion C1 where the second horizontal wall 42 and the second vertical wall 43 are connected, and the corner portion C2 where the first horizontal wall 40 and the first vertical wall 41 are connected, making it even less likely that the pump section 31 will buckle.

[0053] Furthermore, if the amount of the liquid 4 dripping from the dispensing tube 11 by one operation of the operating lever 32 is insufficient, the operating lever 32 can be pressed down with the fingertip 62 multiple times.

[0054] As shown in Figure 11, after the content liquid 4 has been poured out of the pouring tube 11, by closing the lid 12 from a predetermined opening as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the lid side stopper 59 is released from between the pair of body side stoppers 58a, 58b, the lid 12 is released from its hold, the protrusion 53 is inserted into the pouring tube 11, and the gap between the pouring tube 11 and the lid 12 is sealed.

[0055] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the dimensional relationship is set as thickness T1<thickness T2<thickness T3<thickness T4. However, if the dimensional relationship were reversed to thickness T1≧thickness T2 and thickness T3≧thickness T4, the pressing force F required to press down the operating lever 32 would increase, and even if the pressing force F on the operating lever 32 was then released, the pump section 31 would have difficulty returning to its original shape before deformation. (Second embodiment)

[0056] In the first embodiment described above, the deformation portion 36 of the pump portion 31 has a single (i.e., one) step portion 39 as shown in Fig. 5, but may have multiple step portions. For example, in the second embodiment described below, the deformation portion 36 has two step portions 65, 66 as shown in Fig. 12.

[0057] The first step portion 65 has a first horizontal wall 40 connected to the top wall 19, a first vertical wall 41 rising upward from the first horizontal wall 40, a second horizontal wall 42 provided at the upper end of the first vertical wall 41, and a second vertical wall 43 rising upward from the second horizontal wall 42. The second step portion 66 has a third horizontal wall 69 provided at the upper end of the second vertical wall 43 and a third vertical wall 70 rising upward from the third horizontal wall 69.

[0058] In the step portions 65, 66, distances D1, D2, D3 from the first axis 14 to the outer peripheral surface of the deformation portion 36 are set to become shorter the higher they are. That is, the relationship is set as distance D1>distance D2>distance D3.

[0059] Furthermore, the thicknesses T1 to T6 of the step portions 65, 66 are set to become thinner as they go downward. That is, the thickness T1 of the first horizontal wall 40 is thinner than the thickness T2 of the first vertical wall 41, the thickness T2 of the first vertical wall 41 is thinner than the thickness T3 of the second horizontal wall 42, the thickness T3 of the second horizontal wall 42 is thinner than the thickness T4 of the second vertical wall 43, the thickness T4 of the second vertical wall 43 is thinner than the thickness T5 of the third horizontal wall 69, and the thickness T5 of the third horizontal wall 69 is thinner than the thickness T6 of the third vertical wall 70. That is, the relationship is set as follows: thickness T1<thickness T2<thickness T3<thickness T4<thickness T5<thickness T6. The operation of the above configuration will now be described.

[0060] With the lid 12 open and the container 2 tilted, pressing down the operating lever 32 with the fingertip 62 causes the deformation part 36 to deform inward of the pump part 31, with the connecting part 35 of the pump part 31 as a fulcrum, causing the pressure inside the container 2 to rise and the content liquid 4 inside the container 2 to drip out from the outlet 27 of the dispensing tube 11 to the outside.

[0061] Thereafter, by removing the fingertip 62 from the operating lever 32 and releasing the pressure on the operating lever 32, the deformable portion 36 returns to its original shape before deformation due to its elasticity, and the dripping of the content liquid 4 from the spout 27 stops.

[0062] Furthermore, since the relationship is set as thickness T1 < thickness T2 < thickness T3 < thickness T4 < thickness T5 < thickness T6, when the deformation portion 36 deforms toward the inside of the pump portion 31 with the connecting portion 35 as a fulcrum, the pump portion 31 is less likely to buckle for the same reasons as in the first embodiment described above. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the deformation portion 36 has two step portions 65, 66, but may have three or more step portions. (Third embodiment)

[0063] 13 and 14, in the third embodiment, the pump section 31 is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape and includes a connecting section 35 and a deforming section 80. The deforming section 80 does not include the step section 39 shown in the first embodiment, but is curved in an arc shape.

[0064] The inner peripheral surface of the deformation portion 80 is formed with a thin-walled portion 81 that is recessed in a concave shape so that the deformation portion 80 can easily deform inward.

[0065] According to this, by opening the lid 12 and tilting the container 2, and pressing down the operating lever 32 with the fingertip 62, the deformation portion 80 deforms from the formation point of the thin-walled portion 81 toward the inside of the pump portion 31, with the connecting portion 35 of the pump portion 31 as a fulcrum, as shown by the imaginary line in Figure 14, the pressure inside the container 2 increases, and the content liquid 4 inside the container 2 drips out from the dispensing outlet 27 of the dispensing tube 11 to the outside.

[0066] Thereafter, by removing the fingertip 62 from the operating lever 32 and releasing the pressure F on the operating lever 32, the elasticity of the deforming portion 80 causes it to return to its original shape before deformation, as shown by the solid lines in Figures 13 and 14, and the dripping of the content liquid 4 from the spout 27 stops. (Fourth embodiment)

[0067] In each of the above-described embodiments, a restricting member 47 is provided on the top wall 19 of the cap body 10 as shown in Figures 5, 12, and 14, but in the fourth embodiment described below, no restricting member 47 is provided on the top wall 19 of the cap body 10 as shown in Figure 15.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 15, if the height from the top wall 19 of the cap body 10 to the tip (upper end) of the pressing member 30 is H, and the length from the outer circumferential surface of the curved wall portion 43b of the second vertical wall 43 to the tip of the operating lever 32 is L, the height H is set to a dimension less than or equal to the length L (i.e., the height H≦the length L).

[0069] The thicknesses T1 to T4 of the step portion 39 are set to be thinner as they go downward, for example, T1 is set to 0.4 mm, T2 is set to 0.6 mm, T3 is set to 0.8 mm, and T4 is set to 1.25 mm. It is preferable that the thickness T1 is about 0.2 mm.

[0070] According to this, even in a configuration in which the limiting member 47 is not provided, the relationship of height H≦length L is set as described above, so that even if the operating lever 32 is pressed down with excessive pressing force F, the tip of the operating lever 32 comes into contact with the top wall 19 of the cap body 10 as shown by the imaginary line in Figure 15, thereby limiting the range to which the operating lever 32 can be pressed down. This makes it possible to prevent the pump section 31 from being deformed more than expected, and when the pressing force F on the operating lever 32 is subsequently released, the pump section 31 returns to its original shape before deformation.

[0071] In the fourth embodiment, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm, and 1.25 mm are presented as desirable dimensions for the thicknesses T1 to T4 of the stepped portion 39, but these dimensions may also be applied to the first embodiment described above.

[0072] In the fourth embodiment, the height H from the top wall 19 to the tip of the pressing member 30 is set to a dimension less than the length L from the outer peripheral surface of the curved wall portion 43b of the second vertical wall 43 to the tip of the operating lever 32, but this dimensional relationship may also be applied to the first to third embodiments described above.

[0073] In the above embodiments, the content liquid 4 is given as an example of the content, but it is not limited to a liquid, and may be a paste-like substance having fluidity. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 cap 2 containers 3 Mouth 4 Contents liquid (contents) 10 Cap body 11 Pour tube 12 Lid 14 First axis (axis passing through the center of the cap body) 16 Radial 18 Hinge 19 Top Wall 30 Pressing member 31 Pump section 32 Operating lever (pressing operation part) 33 Cavity 35 Connecting part 36 Deformation section 39 Step 47 Restriction member 65 First step 66 Second step 80 Deformed part D1~D3 Distance from the first axis to the outer periphery of the deformed part F Pressing force T1~T6 Thickness of stepped part

Claims

1. A cap having a cap body attached to the mouth of a container, a pouring tube for pouring the contents of the container to the outside, and a lid for opening and closing the pouring tube, The cap body has a top wall that covers the mouth portion, The outlet tube is provided on the top wall, A pressing member is provided on the top wall to drip and dispense the contents from the dispensing tube, The pressing member has a pump portion provided on the top wall and a pressing operation portion provided at a tip of the pump portion, The pump section is a dome-shaped member having a hollow section inside, The cavity of the pump portion communicates with the interior of the container, The pump portion includes a connecting portion integrally connected to the outer periphery of the dispensing tube and an elastic deformable portion, The deformation portion is provided at least on the radially opposite side of the cap body from the connecting portion, and is capable of deforming toward the inside of the pump portion when a pressing force is applied to the pressing operation portion, and when the pressing force is released from the pressing operation portion, the cap returns to its original shape before deformation due to its elasticity.

2. 2. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing tube and the pressing member are integrally provided on the cap body.

3. The pressing operation part is an operation lever, 2. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the operating lever extends from the tip of the pump portion in a direction opposite to the dispensing tube.

4. The lid is connected to the cap body via a hinge so that it can be opened and closed freely. The dispensing tube is disposed on the side farther from the hinge with respect to an axis passing through the center of the cap body, 4. The cap according to claim 3, wherein the operating lever extends from a tip of the pump portion in a direction in which the hinge is provided.

5. 4. The cap according to claim 3, wherein a limiting member is provided on the cap body to limit the range to which the operating lever can be depressed.

6. The deformation portion has a step portion, 2. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the step portion has a distance from an axis passing through the center of the cap body to the outer circumferential surface of the deformed portion that is set to become shorter upward.

7. 7. The cap according to claim 6, wherein the thickness of the stepped portion is set to be thinner toward the bottom.

Images