Cap and spout member

Abstract

To suppress fingers slipping when attaching / detaching a cap.SOLUTION: A cap 4 is used being mounted on a mouth tool base body 2 provided at an opening portion of a container. The cap 4 includes: a bottomed cylindrical lid body part 41 inserted inside the mouth tool base body 2; a flange part 42 extending radially outward from an upper end part of the lid body part 41; and an outer cylinder part 43 extending downward from an outward end part of the flange part 42. The outer cylinder part 43 includes: an annular cylinder body part 50; and four first protrusion parts 51 protruding radially outside from a cylinder body part 50. The first protrusion parts 51 are formed at an equal interval at each 90 degrees in the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder part 43.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap that is attached to a spout base provided at the opening of a container such as a packaging bag, and a spout that includes the cap. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a spout that is attached to the opening of a container that contains a fluid inside. As shown in Figure 4, the lid portion 300 of the spout 100 includes a cylindrical lid main body portion 301 with a bottom that is inserted inside the spout portion 200, a flange portion 302 that extends radially outward from the upper end of the lid main body portion 301, and an outer tube portion 303 that extends downward from the outer end of the flange portion 302. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-130482 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the spout device 100 of Patent Document 1, when attaching or detaching the lid portion 300, fingers are placed on the outer cylinder portion 303 and force is applied to the lid portion 300, which causes the lid portion 300 to rotate. However, when applying force to the lid portion 300, fingers may slip from the outer cylinder portion 303, making it difficult to attach or detach the lid portion 300 smoothly.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional situation, and its object is to prevent fingers from slipping when attaching or detaching a cap. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a cap that is attached to a spout base provided at the opening of a container is configured as follows: The cap comprises a cylindrical main body with a bottom that is inserted inside the spout base, a flange that extends radially outward from the upper end of the main body, and an outer tube that extends downward from the outer end of the flange, and the outer tube has an annular tube main body and four first protrusions that protrude radially outward from the tube main body, and the first protrusions are formed at equal intervals of 90 degrees around the circumference of the outer tube.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a synthetic resin spout that is attached to the opening of a container that stores a fluid therein is configured as follows: The spout comprises a spout base that forms a flow path for the fluid, and a cap that is detachably attached to the spout base by screwing onto the spout base, the cap comprising a cylindrical main body with a bottom that is inserted inside the spout base, a flange that extends radially outward from the upper end of the main body, and an outer tube that extends downward from the outer end of the flange, the outer tube having an annular tube main body and four first protrusions that protrude radially outward from the tube main body, the first protrusions being formed at equal intervals of 90 degrees around the circumferential direction of the outer tube. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the configuration of the present invention, when attaching or detaching the cap, the fingers are caught on the first protrusion, and therefore the fingers can be prevented from slipping off the outer tube portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the spout device of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the spout device of the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the spout of the present embodiment, seen from above. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art spout. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A cap and a spout according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described. The synthetic resin spout 1 shown in Figure 1 is attached to the opening of a synthetic resin bag-shaped container. This forms a flow path for pouring out the fluid contained inside the bag-shaped container. The spout 1 is adhesively fixed to the opening of the bag-shaped container by heat sealing. The bag-shaped container is formed from a multilayer sheet in which an aluminum foil layer is laminated between multiple thin polyethylene sheets. In the following explanation, the top, bottom, left, and right in Figure 1 will be referred to as the top, bottom, left, and right of the spout 1.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the synthetic resin spout 1 comprises a spout base 2 which forms a fluid flow path C therein, a cap 4 which is removably attached to the spout base 2 by screwing it onto the spout base 2, and a sheet body 5 which serves as a gas barrier layer.

[0012] (Configuration of the mouthpiece base 2) As shown in Fig. 2, the mouthpiece base 2 has a flow path C formed therein. The mouthpiece base 2 has a cylindrical tube main body 20 formed over the entire length of the mouthpiece base 2, and an attachment part 30 formed integrally with the tube main body 20 at the bottom of the tube main body 20.

[0013] The inner peripheral surface of the tube main body 20 is formed in a straight shape with no change in diameter in the vertical direction, and is formed as a flat surface without any irregularities, which prevents the fluid from adhering to or remaining on the inner peripheral surface of the tube main body 20 that forms the flow path C when the fluid is poured out from inside the bag-shaped container.

[0014] A male screw 21 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper part of the tube main body 20 so as to extend in the circumferential direction. In addition, a protrusion 22 that protrudes in the radial direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the middle part of the tube main body 20 in the up-down direction. A plurality of protrusions 22 are formed and arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. A plurality of ratchets 23 are formed on the upper part of the protrusion 22.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the mounting portion 30 is formed at the lower part of the tube main body 20 so as to protrude radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the tube main body 20. The mounting portion 30 is formed by a plurality of ribs that are elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from above. The plurality of ribs are composed of an upper wall rib 31 provided on the upper side, a lower wall rib 32 provided on the lower side, and a plurality of intermediate wall ribs 33 provided between the upper wall rib 31 and the lower wall rib 32. The upper wall rib 31 has two notches 35 on its side surface located at both ends in the short direction. In FIG. 1 , only one of the notches 35 is shown, and the other notch 35 is not shown. The upper wall rib 31 is slightly larger than the lower wall rib 32 and the intermediate wall rib 33. The side surfaces at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the upper wall rib 31 are formed to be flush with both ends of the intermediate wall rib 33. The side surfaces at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the lower wall rib 32 have notches. The side surfaces of the lower wall rib 32 and the intermediate wall rib 33 are the portions to which the opening of the bag-shaped container is adhered by heat sealing, and are formed as flat surfaces without any irregularities. The lower surface 32a of the lower wall rib 32 and the bottom surface 45a of the lid main body portion 41 of the cap 4 are the surfaces to which the sheet body 5 is attached. Two gate marks 49 are provided on the lower surface 32a, thereby forming irregularities. The upper wall rib 31, the lower wall rib 32, and the intermediate wall rib 33 are integrally connected by a connecting wall 34 that extends in the left-right direction between the upper wall rib 31, the lower wall rib 32, and the intermediate wall rib 33.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2 , adhesive sheet pieces 36 protruding in the left and right directions are provided at the longitudinal ends of the mounting portion 30. Each adhesive sheet piece 36 is a rectangular plate with rounded corners. One left and right end of each adhesive sheet piece 36 is connected to the ends of two intermediate wall ribs 33 and three connecting walls 34. The adhesive sheet piece 36 is interposed between the two sheet materials constituting the bag-shaped container and facing each other in the thickness direction. The adhesive sheet piece 36 is provided to increase the adhesive strength when the two sheet materials constituting the bag-shaped container are adhesively fixed by heat sealing. The outer peripheral surfaces of the bottom wall rib 32 and the two intermediate wall ribs 33 and both side surfaces in the thickness direction of the adhesive sheet piece 36 are the parts where the opening of the bag-shaped container is adhesively fixed by heat sealing.

[0017] (Cap 4 configuration) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cap 4 comprises a cylindrical lid body 41 with a bottom that is inserted inside the mouthpiece base 2, a flange 42 that extends radially outward from the upper end of the lid body 41, and an outer tube 43 that extends downward from the outer end of the flange 42.

[0018] 2, the lid body 41 is formed as a hollow body having a cylindrical peripheral wall 44 and a bottom wall 45 provided at the lower edge of the peripheral wall 44. The top surface of the lid body 41 is open. As the lid body 41 is inserted inside the tube body 20 of the mouthpiece base 2, the bottom wall 45 of the lid body 41 closes the flow path C of the tube body 20.

[0019] The inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 44 of the lid main body 41 is formed in a straight shape with a diameter that does not change in the vertical direction. In addition, a protrusion 46 that protrudes in the radial direction is formed around the entire circumference at the upper part of the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 44, and the lower end of the protrusion 46 is formed as a tapered surface 46a that decreases in diameter toward the bottom. The outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 44 is formed in a straight shape with a diameter that does not change in the vertical direction in the part where the protrusion 46 is not formed, and its inner peripheral surface is formed as a flat surface with no irregularities. The bottom surface 45a of the bottom wall 45 is formed as a flat surface that is horizontal in the left-right direction and has no irregularities.

[0020] The outer diameter of the peripheral wall 44 of the lid main body 41 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular main body 20 of the mouthpiece base 2. As a result, when the cap 4 is attached to the mouthpiece base 2, a gap of width L1 is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 44 of the lid main body 41 and the inner peripheral surface of the tubular main body 20 of the mouthpiece base 2. Width L1 is approximately 0.1 to 0.8 mm. Furthermore, the protrusion length of the protrusion 46 formed on the upper part of the peripheral wall 44 is equal to width L1. Note that the size of width L1 can be changed as appropriate.

[0021] The vertical length of the lid main body 41 is set to be slightly shorter than the vertical length of the tube main body 20 of the mouthpiece base 2. Specifically, in the lid main body 41, the length from the lower surface of the flange 42 to the bottom surface 45a of the bottom wall 45 is shorter than the length from the upper end surface of the tube main body 20 to the lower surface 32a of the lower wall rib 32 of the attachment portion 30. As a result, when the cap 4 is attached to the mouthpiece base 2, the upper end surface of the tube main body 20 of the mouthpiece base 2 abuts against the lower surface of the flange 42 of the cap 4, and the bottom surface 45a of the bottom wall 45 of the lid main body 41 is positioned higher than the lower surface 32a of the lower wall rib 32 of the tube main body 20. The difference in vertical length between the bottom surface 45a and the lower surface 32a is approximately 0.1 to 0.7 mm, and preferably 0.5 mm.

[0022] The outer tube portion 43 comprises an annular tube main body portion 50, four first protrusions 51 protruding radially outward from the tube main body portion 50, and a plurality of second protrusions 52 also protruding radially outward from the tube main body portion 50.

[0023] The tube main body 50 is formed in an annular shape so as to surround the lid main body 41, with a predetermined gap formed between it and the outer peripheral surface of the lid main body 41. The tube main body 50 is cylindrical and has the same center as the lid main body 41. A female screw 47 that screws into the male screw 21 of the tube main body 20 of the mouthpiece base 2 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the tube main body 50 so as to extend in the circumferential direction.

[0024] 3, the first protrusions 51 are formed at equal intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction of the outer cylindrical portion 43. The protrusion amount L2 of the first protrusions 51 in the radial direction is approximately 2.0 to 6.0 mm. The protrusion amount L2 is approximately 2.5 to 6.5 times larger than the thickness L3 of the cylindrical main body 50 in the radial direction.

[0025] Six second protrusions 52 are formed at equal intervals between two first protrusions 51. That is, the cap 4 has 24 second protrusions 52. The radial protrusion amount L4 of each second protrusion 52 is approximately 0.2 to 0.8 mm. The protrusion amount L4 is smaller than the protrusion amount L2.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, when the spout 1 is viewed from above, the components are positioned as follows: The tip of the first protrusion 51 is located outward from the upper wall rib 31 of the attachment part 30 of the spout base 2. At the position where the first protrusion 51 is formed, the upper wall rib 31 is located outward from the outer tubular part 43 of the cap 4. The tip of the second protrusion 52 is located inward from the upper wall rib 31 of the attachment part 30 of the spout base 2, but some of the second protrusions 52 are located outward from the cutouts 35. The cutouts 35 of the upper wall rib 31 are located between adjacent first protrusions 51. The cutouts 35 of the upper wall rib 31 are located inward from the outer tubular part 43 of the cap 4.

[0027] 1 and 2, a cap ring 48, which constitutes a known tamper-evident function that certifies the opening and closing history of the cap 4, is connected to the lower end of the outer cylindrical portion 43. The cap ring 48 is attached to correspond to the position of the ratchet 23 provided on the cylindrical main body 20 of the mouthpiece base 2, and is broken when the cap 4 is opened by rotating it in the opening direction. The broken cap ring 48 is held in place by the protrusion 22 provided on the cylindrical main body 20 of the mouthpiece base 2 so that it does not fall off. This indicates that the bag-shaped container has been opened.

[0028] The mouthpiece base 2 and the cap 4 are molded from a conventionally known synthetic resin material, such as thermoplastic resins such as low-density polyethylene, medium-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ionomer resin, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, ethylene-methyl acrylate copolymer, and ethylene-propylene copolymer.

[0029] <Actions and Effects of the Embodiment> Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The cap 4 is attached to a spout base 2 provided at the opening of a container when in use. The cap 4 comprises a cylindrical lid body 41 with a bottom that is inserted inside the spout base 2, a flange 42 that extends radially outward from the upper end of the lid body 41, and an outer tube 43 that extends downward from the outer end of the flange 42. The outer tube 43 has an annular tube body 50 and four first protrusions 51 that protrude radially outward from the tube body 50. The first protrusions 51 are formed at equal intervals of 90 degrees around the circumference of the outer tube 43.

[0030] According to the above configuration, the portion of the outer tube portion 43 where the first protrusions 51 are not provided can be used as a portion where the fingers are placed when attaching or detaching the cap. As a result, the fingers are caught on the first protrusions 51 when attaching or detaching the cap, which prevents the fingers from slipping from the outer tube portion 43 and makes it easier to apply force to the cap 4 when attaching or detaching the cap. Note that "equally spaced every 90 degrees" in the above configuration does not only mean a configuration where the intervals are strictly set, but also includes a configuration where the intervals are shifted by about 1 to 2 degrees.

[0031] In the manufacturing process of attaching the cap 4 to the spout base 2 provided at the opening of a container, the lid main body 41 of the cap 4 must be properly inserted into the spout base 2. This requires that the posture of the caps 4 supplied sequentially be stably maintained. According to the cap 4 of this embodiment, when the cap 4 is placed horizontally, two of the four first protrusions 51 can function as rotation suppression portions, allowing for stable horizontal placement. Therefore, for example, when placing the caps 4 on a manufacturing line, the caps 4 can be stably arranged horizontally with the two first protrusions 51 functioning as legs, making it easier to position the caps 4. Even in a process of attaching the spout 1 with the cap 4 attached to the spout base 2 to the opening of a container, the spout 1 can be stably arranged horizontally with the two first protrusions 51 functioning as legs, making it easier to position the spout 1.

[0032] (2) The radial protrusion amount L2 of the first protrusion 51 is greater than the radial thickness L3 of the tube main body 50. According to the above configuration, the first protrusion 51 can perform its function favorably.

[0033] (3) The radial protrusion amount L2 of the first protrusion 51 is 2.5 to 6.5 times larger than the radial thickness L3 of the tube main body 50. According to the above configuration, the first protrusion 51 can more suitably perform its function.

[0034] (4) The outer cylindrical portion 43 has a plurality of second protrusions 52 that protrude radially outward from the cylindrical main body portion 50. The radial protrusion amount L4 of the second protrusions 52 is smaller than the radial protrusion amount L2 of the first protrusions 51.

[0035] According to the above configuration, the second protrusion 52, which protrudes less than the first protrusion 51, is located in the portion where the fingers are placed when attaching or detaching the cap. This further prevents the fingers from slipping when attaching or detaching the cap.

[0036] (5) When the spout 1 is viewed from above, the tip of the first protrusion 51 is located outward from the upper wall rib 31 of the attachment portion 30 of the spout base 2. The first protrusion 51 has a suitable protrusion length, making it easy for fingers to get caught. In addition, when a finger is placed against the first protrusion 51, the upper wall rib 31 is prevented from hitting the finger.

[0037] (6) When the spout 1 is viewed from above, the notch 35 of the upper wall rib 31 is located between adjacent first protrusions 51. The notch 35 of the upper wall rib 31 has an open end, and when the fingers of the hand opposite the hand that holds the cap are placed on the notch, the open end of the notch prevents the fingers from slipping. Furthermore, because the notch 35 of the upper wall rib 31 is located between adjacent first protrusions 51, when the fingers of one hand are placed on the notch 35 and the fingers of the other hand are placed between the first protrusions 51, the fingers can be aligned vertically. Therefore, a rotational force can be applied to the cap in an optimal manner, particularly when the spout 1 is opened.

[0038] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility. While the bag-shaped container has been formed from a multilayer structure sheet in which an aluminum foil layer is laminated between multiple thin polyethylene sheets, this is not limited to this. The sheet material constituting the bag-shaped container may be any commonly used known resin sheet, such as a single-layer or multilayer resin sheet made of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyamide, polyester, or the like. Furthermore, the multilayer structure sheet does not necessarily have to have a thin aluminum layer.

[0039] The protrusion 22 of the cylindrical main body 20 may be configured as a single annular protrusion 22 that protrudes over the entire circumferential direction. The cylindrical main body 20 does not need to have the ratchet 23 formed thereon. The inner peripheral surface of the tube main body 20 is formed in a straight shape with a diameter that does not change in the vertical direction and is formed as a flat surface without any irregularities, but this is not limited to this. The inner diameter may be changed by forming a tapered surface on the inner peripheral surface of the tube main body 20. Ribs may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the lower part of the tube main body 20.

[0040] The lid body 41 of the cap 4 may be solid. Alternatively, the lid body 41 may be hollow and the upper end thereof may be closed. The inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 44 of the lid main body 41 is formed in a straight shape with a diameter that does not change in the vertical direction, but is not limited to this. The inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 44 may be tapered, for example, so that the inner diameter changes.

[0041] The outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 44 of the lid main body 41 is formed in a straight shape with a diameter that does not change in the vertical direction except for the protrusions 46, but is not limited to this. The outer diameter may change by forming a tapered surface on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 44, for example.

[0042] The protrusion 46 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 44 of the lid main body 41 has a tapered surface 46a at its lower end, but the shape of the protrusion 46 is not limited to this. For example, the protrusion 46 may have a tapered surface at its upper end that tapers in diameter upward.

[0043] The lower surface 32a of the lower wall rib 32 of the attachment portion 30 of the fitting base 2 has the gate marks 49 formed thereon, which form irregularities, but this is not limiting. For example, the lower surface 32a may be formed as a flat surface that is horizontal in the left-right direction and has no irregularities.

[0044] The outer cylinder 43 of the lid main body 41 does not have to be cylindrical. For example, the outer circumferential surface may be elliptical or hexagonal in top view. Although the upper wall rib 31 has the cutout portion 35, the present invention is not limited to this. The upper wall rib 31 does not necessarily have to have the cutout portion.

[0045] Although the bottom wall rib 32 has a configuration in which notches are formed on both side surfaces in the longitudinal direction, the configuration is not limited to this. The bottom wall rib 32 does not necessarily have to have notches. The attachment portion 30 of the fitting base 2 has been configured to include the adhesive sheet piece 36, but is not limited to this. The attachment portion 30 does not have to include the adhesive sheet piece 36.

[0046] Although the cap 4 has 24 second protrusions 52, the number of the second protrusions 52 is not limited to this. The number of the second protrusions 52 may be any number. As shown in Figure 3, when the spout 1 is viewed from above, the tip of the second protrusion 52 of the cap 4 may be positioned outward from the upper wall rib 31 of the mounting part 30 of the spout base 2. Furthermore, when the spout 1 is viewed from above, the second protrusion 52 may be positioned inward from the cutout 35.

[0047] Although the spout 1 has been configured to include the sheet body 5, the configuration is not limited to this. The spout 1 does not necessarily have to include the sheet body 5. Next, the technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below.

[0048] A synthetic resin spout is attached to an opening of a container that contains a fluid therein, and includes a spout base that forms a flow path for the fluid, and a cap that is detachably attached to the spout base by being screwed to the spout base. The spout base includes a cylindrical tube main body portion that is formed over the entire length of the spout base, and an attachment portion that is formed integrally with the tube main body portion at the bottom of the tube main body portion. The attachment portion is formed by a plurality of ribs that are elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from above, and the plurality of ribs are upper wall ribs provided on the upper side, lower wall ribs provided on the lower side, and a cap that is detachably attached to the upper wall ribs and the lower wall ribs. The cap is comprised of a plurality of intermediate wall ribs disposed between the ribs, the upper wall rib having two notches on its side surfaces located at both ends in the short direction. The cap includes a cylindrical main body with a bottom that is inserted into the mouthpiece base, a flange extending radially outward from the upper end of the main body, and an outer tube extending downward from the outer end of the flange. The outer tube has an annular main body and four first protrusions protruding radially outward from the main body, the first protrusions being formed at equal intervals of 90 degrees around the circumference of the outer tube. With this configuration, for example, by hooking the fingers of the right hand on the first protrusions and placing the fingers of the opposite left hand in the notches on the mouthpiece base when attaching or removing the cap, the fingers of the right hand can be prevented from slipping off the outer tube of the cap and the fingers of the left hand can be prevented from slipping off the mouthpiece base. It also makes it easier to apply force to the cap and mouthpiece base when attaching or removing the cap. This makes it possible to obtain a spout that allows the cap to be attached and detached smoothly. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1…Spout tool 2...Mouth base 4...Cap 20...Cylinder body part 30...Mounting part 32a…Bottom surface 41…Lid body part 42...Flange 43...Outer cylinder 50...Cylinder body part 51...first protrusion 52…Second protrusion

Claims

1. A cap that is attached to a mouth base provided at the opening of a container, The nozzle includes a cylindrical main body portion with a bottom that is inserted into the inside of the nozzle base, a flange portion that extends radially outward from the upper end of the main body portion, and an outer cylinder portion that extends downward from the outer end of the flange portion, the outer cylindrical portion has an annular cylindrical main body portion and four first protrusions protruding radially outward from the cylindrical main body portion, The cap is characterized in that the first protrusions are formed at equal intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction of the outer cylindrical portion.

2. The cap according to claim 1 , wherein a radial projection of the first protrusion is greater than a radial thickness of the main body.

3. 3. The cap according to claim 2, wherein the radial projection of the first protrusion is 2.5 to 6.5 times the radial thickness of the main body.

4. the outer cylindrical portion further includes a plurality of second protrusions protruding radially outward from the cylindrical main body portion, 4. The cap according to claim 1, wherein a radial projection of the second protrusion is smaller than a radial projection of the first protrusion.

5. A synthetic resin spout that is attached to an opening of a container that contains a fluid therein, A spout device comprising: a spout base that forms a flow path for the fluid; and a cap that is removably attached to the spout base by screwing it onto the spout base, wherein the cap comprises a cylindrical main body with a bottom that is inserted inside the spout base, a flange that extends radially outward from the upper end of the main body, and an outer tube that extends downward from the outer end of the flange, wherein the outer tube has an annular tube main body and four first protrusions that protrude radially outward from the tube main body, and the first protrusions are formed at equal intervals of 90 degrees around the circumferential direction of the outer tube.

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