Container lid

Abstract

To provide a new container lid in which contents are prevented from staying on an upper surface of a locking jaw part 104.SOLUTION: A plurality of openings (slits 32a) penetrating in the radial direction is provided with an interval in the circumferential direction at a skirt part 22a of a skirt wall 6a, and when combined with a neck part 100 of a container, an upper end of the opening is positioned further upward than a maximum outer diameter portion 106 of the locking jaw part 104 and a lower end is positioned at the same height as or further downward than the maximum outer diameter portion 106 of the locking jaw part 104.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container lid. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of a container closure for a container having a cylindrical neck portion with a male thread on its outer periphery and a locking jaw located below the male thread, Patent Document 1 below discloses a synthetic resin container closure having a circular top wall and a cylindrical skirt wall hanging down from the periphery of the top wall. The skirt wall of this container closure is provided with a circumferentially extending breakable line, and the skirt wall is divided into a main portion above the breakable line and a bottom portion below the breakable line. The inner circumferential surface of the main portion is provided with a female thread. The lower end of the bottom portion is provided with a plurality of triangular slits spaced circumferentially, penetrating the periphery and extending vertically.

[0003] The synthetic resin container lid described above is attached to the neck of a container by fitting it over the neck and rotating it in the closing direction, i.e., clockwise as viewed from above, until the male threads of the neck engage with the female threads of the lid. The lower portion of the skirt wall's base is then deformed radially inward to form a locking portion that engages with the locking jaw of the neck. To open the neck of the container to consume the contents of the container, the container lid is rotated in the opening direction, i.e., counterclockwise as viewed from above. As a result, the female threads gradually disengage from the male threads, and the top wall of the container lid and the main portion of the skirt wall attempt to rise as the lid rotates in the opening direction. However, the locking portion formed at the lower portion of the skirt wall engages with the locking jaw of the neck, preventing the lift. This generates stress in the breakable line, causing the breakable line to break and separating the base of the skirt wall from the main portion. Thereafter, the bottom of the skirt wall remains on the neck portion, and the top wall and the main portion of the skirt wall are freely raised as the top wall and the main portion of the skirt wall rotate in the opening direction and are separated from the neck portion, thereby opening the neck portion. The fact that the bottom of the skirt wall remains on the neck portion clearly indicates that the required opening operation has been performed on the container lid (tamper-evident function). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-190452 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the container lid disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the lower portion of the skirt wall is deformed radially inward, the upper end of the slit (opening) in the skirt faces the lower end of the cylindrical outer periphery, which is the maximum diameter portion of the locking jaw, or the lower surface of the locking jaw, creating a somewhat closed space above the locking jaw. Therefore, when filling the container, spilled liquid may flow down the outer periphery of the neck and accumulate on the upper surface of the locking jaw. If liquid accumulates on the upper surface of the locking jaw, depending on the composition of the liquid, the accumulated liquid may harden (become so-called sugar cement), increasing the torque required to open the container lid. Furthermore, the accumulated liquid may cause the growth of fungi such as mold, which is undesirable from a food hygiene perspective.

[0006] The phenomenon of contents remaining on the upper surface of the locking jaws is not limited to container closures of the type in which the bottom of the skirt wall is deformed radially inward after being combined with the mouth and neck part so that the bottom is locked by the locking jaws, but can also occur with container closures of the type in which locking means that protrude radially inward are formed in advance on the inner peripheral surface of the bottom (tamper-evident bottom) and, when attached to the mouth and neck part, the locking means elastically overcomes the locking jaws to be locked by them. This is because, when the container closure is attached to the mouth and neck part, if the outer peripheral surface of the locking jaws at the maximum outer diameter part and the inner peripheral surface of the bottom (tamper-evident bottom) come close to each other, the liquid contents can adhere across the outer peripheral surface of the locking jaws and the inner peripheral surface of the bottom (tamper-evident bottom) due to surface tension.

[0007] The present invention was made in consideration of the above facts, and its main technical objective is to provide a new and improved container lid that prevents contents from remaining on the upper surface of the locking jaw. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] After extensive research, the inventors discovered that the above-mentioned main technical problem can be solved by providing multiple radially penetrating openings at intervals around the periphery of the bottom of the skirt wall, and by combining these with the mouth and neck of the container, so that the upper ends of the openings are positioned above the maximum outer diameter part of the locking jaw part and the lower ends are positioned at the same height as or lower than the maximum outer diameter part of the locking jaw part.

[0009] That is, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container lid for a container having a cylindrical neck portion on an outer circumferential surface of which is provided a male thread and a locking jaw portion located below the male thread, the container lid being: The container has a circular top wall and a cylindrical skirt wall that hangs down from the periphery of the top wall, A container lid having a skirt wall provided with a circumferentially extending breakable line, the skirt wall being divided into a main portion above the breakable line and a bottom portion below the breakable line, The bottom portion has a plurality of radially penetrating openings spaced apart in the circumferential direction, When combined with the mouth and neck portion, the upper end of the opening is positioned above the maximum outer diameter portion of the locking jaw portion and the lower end is positioned at the same height as or below the maximum outer diameter portion of the locking jaw portion, and the lower part of the hem is deformed radially inward to lock onto the locking jaw portion.

[0010] In the first aspect of the present invention, the opening is preferably a slit extending vertically to the lower end of the bottom portion. In this case, the lower end surface of the bottom portion, which defines the upper end of the slit, preferably extends radially outward at an inclination downward. The opening may also be a hole provided in the bottom portion. Preferably, the opening is made of synthetic resin, and the inner peripheral surface of the main portion is provided with a female thread.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container lid that solves the above-mentioned main technical problem, which is made of synthetic resin and is for a container having a cylindrical neck portion, the outer circumferential surface of which is provided with a male thread and a locking jaw portion located below the male thread, The container has a circular top wall and a cylindrical skirt wall that hangs down from the periphery of the top wall, A synthetic resin container lid, wherein the skirt wall is provided with a circumferentially extending breakable line, the skirt wall is divided into a main portion above the breakable line and a tamper-evident bottom portion below the breakable line, the main portion has an internal thread on the inner peripheral surface thereof, and the tamper-evident bottom portion has an inner peripheral surface formed with a locking means that protrudes radially inward, The tamper-evident bottom portion is provided with a plurality of radially penetrating holes spaced apart in the circumferential direction, A synthetic resin container lid is provided, characterized in that when attached to the mouth and neck portion, the upper end of the hole is located above the maximum outer diameter portion of the locking jaw portion and the lower end is located at the same height as or below the maximum outer diameter portion of the locking jaw portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In the container lid constructed according to the present invention, a plurality of radially penetrating openings are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction in the skirt wall, and when the lid is fitted to the neck of the container, the upper ends of the openings are located above the maximum outer diameter of the locking jaws and the lower ends are located at the same height as or below the maximum outer diameter of the locking jaws. Therefore, even if the lower part of the skirt is subsequently deformed radially inward, any liquid contents that spill over when filling the container will flow down the outer peripheral surface of the neck and then pass through the openings to the outside without remaining on the upper surface of the locking jaws. Therefore, with the container lid constructed according to the present invention, the liquid contents that spill over will not harden on the upper surface of the locking jaws, increasing the torque required to open the lid, and there is no risk of mold or other fungi growing. Furthermore, there are cases where the contents that spill over when filling the container are washed by spraying cleaning water directly onto the mouth and neck of the container before the container lid is fitted to the mouth and neck of the container, and the container lid is fitted to the mouth and neck of the container immediately after such washing; even in this case, the cleaning water can pass through the opening and be easily discharged to the outside. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view, partially in cross section, of a first embodiment of a container lid constructed according to a first aspect of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a front view, partly in section, showing the container lid shown in FIG. 1 in a state where the lower part of the bottom of the skirt wall is deformed radially inward. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a front view, partially in cross section, of a second embodiment of a container lid constructed in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a front view, partly in section, showing the container lid shown in FIG. 3 in a state where the lower part of the bottom of the skirt wall is deformed radially inward. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front view, partially in section, of a preferred embodiment of a container lid constructed in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a front view, partly in cross section, showing the state in which the container lid shown in FIG. 5 is attached to the mouth and neck portion of the container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a more detailed description will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments of a container lid constructed according to the present invention.

[0015] 1 and 2, a first embodiment of a container closure constructed according to a first aspect of the present invention will be described. Container closure 2a, which can be injection-molded or compression-molded from a suitable synthetic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, has a circular top wall 4a and a cylindrical skirt wall 6a depending from the outer periphery of top wall 4a. A relatively long cylindrical inner seal piece 8a and a relatively short cylindrical outer seal piece 10a depending downward are formed on the inner periphery of top wall 4a. Furthermore, a relatively small annular ridge 12a is formed between inner seal piece 8a and outer seal piece 10a.

[0016] The skirt wall 6a has a relatively thick upper portion 14a and a relatively thin lower portion 16a. A circumferentially extending breakable line 18a is formed at the upper end of the thin lower portion 16a, and the skirt wall 6a is divided into a main portion 20a above the breakable line 18a and a skirt portion 22a below the breakable line 18a. In the illustrated embodiment, the breakable line 18a is composed of a plurality of circumferentially extending slits (kerfs) 24a and a plurality of bridging portions 26a remaining between the slits 24a, and the skirt portion 22a is connected to the main portion 20a via the plurality of bridging portions 26a.

[0017] The outer peripheral surface of the main portion 20a of the skirt wall 6a is formed with anti-slip knurling 28a, which consists of alternating concave and convex shapes when viewed in the circumferential direction. In the illustrated embodiment, a female thread 30a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the main portion 20a. In a container lid constructed according to the present invention, a plurality of radially penetrating openings are provided at circumferential intervals in the bottom portion 22a. In the illustrated embodiment, the openings are slits 32a extending vertically to the lower end of the bottom portion 22a, and are arranged at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction. As can be clearly understood by referring to the partially enlarged view of FIG. 1, the lower end surface of the bottom portion 22a, which defines the upper end of the slits 32a, extends radially outward at an inclination downward. The slits 32a (openings) will be discussed further below.

[0018] FIG. 1 also illustrates a container lid 2a and a container neck to which the lid 2a is attached. The container neck 100, which can be formed from a suitable synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate or glass, is generally cylindrical and open at the top. The outer peripheral surface of the neck 100 is formed with a male thread 102, a locking jaw 104 located below the male thread 102, and a support ring 108 located further below the locking jaw 104. The longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the outer peripheral surface of the locking jaw 104 is arc-shaped, with the outer diameter gradually increasing downward, reaching a maximum at the lower end. In other words, in the illustrated embodiment, a circular maximum outer diameter portion is defined at the lower end of the locking jaw 104, designated by the numeral 106. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the support ring 108 is used when transporting the container.

[0019] After filling the container with contents such as a soft drink, when the container lid 2a is attached to the mouth and neck portion 100 to seal the mouth and neck portion 100, the container lid 2a is fitted onto the mouth and neck portion 100 and rotated in the closing direction, i.e., clockwise as viewed from above in Figure 1. In this way, the female thread 30a of the container lid 2a is threadedly engaged with the male thread 102 of the mouth and neck portion 100, and the container lid 2a is rotated and lowered relatively. 1, the annular ridge 12a formed on the inner surface of the top wall 4a of the container lid 2a comes into contact with the top surface of the mouth and neck portion 100, and the inner seal piece 8a and the outer seal piece 10a formed on the inner surface of the top wall 4a of the container lid 2a come into close contact with or come into contact with the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the mouth and neck portion 100, respectively, thus sealing the mouth and neck portion 100. Here, it is important that, when the container lid constructed according to the present invention is combined with the mouth and neck portion 100, the upper end of the opening provided in the hem portion 22a is located above the maximum outer diameter portion of the locking jaw 104, and the lower end is located at the same height as or below the maximum outer diameter portion 106 of the locking jaw 104. In the illustrated embodiment, as can be clearly understood by referring to the partially enlarged view in Fig. 1, when the container lid 2a is screwed onto the neck portion 100, the upper end of the slit 32a, which is the opening, is positioned above the maximum outer diameter portion of the locking jaw 104. A heated press-deformable member 200 is then applied to the outer peripheral surface of the lower portion of the skirt portion 22a. As a result, the lower portion of the skirt portion 22a is deformed radially inward, forming the locking portion 34a, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of the inner surface of the locking portion 34a abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 100, and the upper portion of the locking portion 34a is locked against the outer peripheral surface or lower surface of the lower end of the locking jaw 104.

[0020] Here, in the container lid constructed according to the present invention, a plurality of slits 32a (openings) that penetrate radially through the bottom portion 22a of the skirt wall 6a are provided at intervals around the circumference, and when combined with the mouth and neck portion 100 of the container, the upper ends of the slits 32a (openings) are located above the maximum outer diameter portion 106 of the locking jaw portion 104, and the lower ends are located at the same height as or lower than the maximum outer diameter portion 106 of the locking jaw portion 104.Therefore, even if the lower portion of the bottom portion 22 is subsequently deformed radially inward, the contents that spill over when filling the container will flow down the outer peripheral surface of the mouth and neck portion 100 and then pass through the slits 32a (openings) and be discharged to the outside without remaining on the upper surface of the locking jaw portion 104, as shown by the arrow in the enlarged partial view in Figure 2. Therefore, with a container lid constructed according to the present invention, the spilled liquid contents do not harden on the upper surface of the locking jaw 104, increasing the torque required for opening the container, and there is no risk of mold or other fungi growing. Furthermore, there are cases in which spilled liquid contents are washed away when filling a container by spraying cleaning water directly onto the container neck portion 100 before the container lid 2a is mated with the container neck portion 100, and the container lid 2a is mated with the container neck portion 100 immediately after such washing. Even in this case, the cleaning water can easily be drained to the outside through the slit 32a. This also applies to a second embodiment of a container lid constructed according to the first aspect of the present invention and a preferred embodiment of a container lid constructed according to the second aspect of the present invention, which will be described below. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower end surface of the skirt portion 22a, which defines the upper end of the slit 32a, extends radially outward at an inclined downward angle, so that the liquid contents can easily pass through the slit 32a, and cleaning water can also be sprayed from the outside of the container lid 2a through the slit 32a onto the outer surface of the locking jaw portion 104 to clean the outer surface.

[0021] 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of a container lid constructed according to the first aspect of the present invention. In this second embodiment, the same components as those of the container lid of the first embodiment described above will be omitted by adding the letter "b" instead of "a" to the same reference numerals, and only the differences from the first embodiment will be described.

[0022] While the opening formed in container lid 2a is a slit 32a extending vertically to the bottom edge of the hem, the opening formed in container lid 2b is a hole 32b formed in hem 22b. Hole 32b is rectangular and is provided locally at the upper end of hem 22b. When container lid 2b is combined with neck portion 100, it is important that the upper end of the opening formed in hem 22b is positioned above the maximum outer diameter portion 106 of locking jaw 104, and the lower end is positioned at the same height as or below the maximum outer diameter portion 106 of locking jaw 104. In the illustrated embodiment, as can be clearly understood by referring to the partially enlarged view in FIG. 3, when container lid 2b is screwed onto neck portion 100, the lower end of hole 32b, which is the opening, is positioned at the same height as the maximum outer diameter portion 106 of locking jaw 104. For this reason, even in the case of container lid 2b, even if the lower part of hem portion 22b is later deformed radially inward, as in the case of container lid 2a, the contents that spill over when filling the container will flow down the outer surface of neck portion 100 and then pass through hole 32b (opening) and be discharged to the outside without remaining on the upper surface of locking jaw portion 104, as shown by the arrow in the enlarged partial view of Figure 4.

[0023] 5 and 6 show a preferred embodiment of a container lid constructed according to the second aspect of the present invention. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment of the container lid constructed according to the first aspect of the present invention are designated by the same reference numerals with the letter "c" instead of "a," and a description thereof will be omitted. Only the differences from the first embodiment of the container lid constructed according to the first aspect of the present invention will be described.

[0024] The container lid 2c has a locking means formed on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt wall 6c at the time of molding, protruding radially inward. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking means are formed by a plurality of circumferentially extending arcuate locking ridges 34c spaced apart in the circumferential direction. If desired, the locking means may be formed in various forms, such as a circumferentially continuous annular locking ridge or a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking flaps. Considering that the locking means protruding radially inward are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the skirt wall 6c at the time of molding, the skirt wall 6c of the container lid 2c is designated by the reference numeral 22c as a "tamper-evident ridge." The inner peripheral surface of the tamper-evident ridge 22c also has an arcuate bulge 36c that extends radially outward and upward from the radially outer edge of the upper surface of each of the plurality of locking ridges 34c. The container lid 2c also has a plurality of radially penetrating holes 32c formed in the tamper-evident skirt 22c at circumferentially spaced intervals. The holes 32c are rectangular and are locally formed above the locking ridges 34c. In the illustrated embodiment, the holes 32c are positioned above each of the plurality of locking ridges 34c, but are not positioned above the gap between two adjacent locking ridges 34c.

[0025] In this embodiment, when the container lid 2c is attached (screwed) to the mouth-and-neck portion 100 to seal the mouth-and-neck portion 100, the locking protrusion 34c elastically moves downward over the locking jaw portion 104 of the mouth-and-neck portion 100 and locks thereto. It is also important that, when the container lid 2c is attached (screwed) to the mouth-and-neck portion 100, the upper end of the hole 32c is located above the maximum outer diameter portion 106 of the locking jaw portion 104 and the lower end is located at the same height as or lower than the maximum outer diameter portion 106 of the locking jaw portion 104. In the illustrated embodiment, as can be clearly understood by referring to the partially enlarged view of Figure 6, when the container lid 2c is attached (screwed) to the mouth-and-neck portion 100, the lower end of the hole 32c is located at the same height as the maximum outer diameter portion 106 of the locking jaw portion 104. For this reason, in the case of container lid 2c, as in the case of container lids 2a and 2b, the contents that spill over when filling the container flow down the outer surface of the neck portion 100, and then pass through hole 32c and are discharged to the outside without remaining on the upper surface of the locking jaw portion 104, as shown by the arrow in the enlarged partial view in Figure 6.

[0026] While the container closure constructed according to the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, a container closure constructed according to the first aspect of the present invention may be made of metal rather than synthetic resin. In this case, the internal thread is not formed in the skirt wall formed by machining a metal sheet, but is formed in the skirt wall during a seaming process performed after the container closure is fitted onto the container neck. In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the outer peripheral surface of the locking jaw 104 formed on the container neck 100 is arc-shaped, with the outer diameter gradually increasing downward, and a circular maximum outer diameter portion 106 is defined at the lower end of the outer peripheral surface. However, the maximum outer diameter portion of the outer peripheral surface may also be cylindrical with a required vertical width. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 2a, 2b, 2c: Container lid 4a: Top wall 6a: Skirt wall 18a: Breakable line 20a: Main part 22a, 22b, 22c: (Tamper Evident) Hem 30a: Female thread 32a, 32b, 32c: slits or holes (openings) 100: Container neck 102: Male screw 104: Locking jaw 106: Maximum outer diameter part (of the locking jaw)

Claims

1. A container lid for a container having a cylindrical neck portion, the outer circumferential surface of which is provided with a male thread and a locking jaw portion located below the male thread, The container has a circular top wall and a cylindrical skirt wall that hangs down from the periphery of the top wall, A container lid having a skirt wall provided with a circumferentially extending breakable line, the skirt wall being divided into a main portion above the breakable line and a bottom portion below the breakable line, The bottom portion has a plurality of radially penetrating openings spaced apart in the circumferential direction, When combined with the mouth and neck portion, the upper end of the opening is located above the maximum outer diameter portion of the locking jaw portion and the lower end is located at the same height as or below the maximum outer diameter portion of the locking jaw portion, and the lower part of the hem is deformed radially inward to lock onto the locking jaw portion.

2. 2. The container lid according to claim 1, wherein the opening is a slit extending vertically to the lower end of the skirt portion.

3. 3. The container lid according to claim 2, wherein a lower end surface of the skirt portion defining the upper end of the slit extends radially outwardly and inclined downward.

4. 2. The container lid of claim 1, wherein the opening is a hole provided in the skirt.

5. 2. The container lid according to claim 1, which is made of synthetic resin and has an internal thread pre-formed on the inner peripheral surface of the main portion.

6. A synthetic resin container lid for a container having a cylindrical neck portion, the outer circumferential surface of which is provided with a male thread and a locking jaw portion located below the male thread, The container has a circular top wall and a cylindrical skirt wall that hangs down from the periphery of the top wall, A synthetic resin container lid, wherein the skirt wall is provided with a circumferentially extending breakable line, the skirt wall is divided into a main portion above the breakable line and a tamper-evident bottom portion below the breakable line, the main portion has an internal thread on the inner peripheral surface thereof, and the tamper-evident bottom portion has an inner peripheral surface formed with a locking means that protrudes radially inward, The tamper-evident bottom portion is provided with a plurality of radially penetrating holes spaced apart in the circumferential direction, A synthetic resin container lid characterized in that, when attached to the mouth and neck portion, the upper end of the hole is located above the maximum outer diameter portion of the locking jaw portion and the lower end is located at the same height as or below the maximum outer diameter portion of the locking jaw portion.

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