Hinge cap

Abstract

To provide a hinge cap capable of surely sealing a nozzle part even if an internal pressure rises when a lid is closed.SOLUTION: A hinge cap (A) includes a cap body sidewall attached to a vessel body (D), and an upper lid sidewall attached to the cap body via a hinge portion sidewall, wherein the cap body includes a cylindrical A1 portion (810) communicating with the vessel body, a pressing portion sidewall closing an upper portion of the cylindrical A3 portion, and a nozzle portion (9) discharging a content liquid from the cylindrical A2 portion when pressurized by the pressing portion, and the upper lid includes a sidewall portion (2122) surrounding the cylindrical C1 portion of the cap body, and is formed through the sidewall portion. The upper lid includes an upper lid elastic portion C2 whose inner side surface comes into close contact with the tip of the nozzle portion to form a seal portion 31 when the lid is closed, and a deformation suppressing member E integrated with the upper lid elastic portion while avoiding the center of the seal portion inside the upper lid elastic portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge cap, and more particularly to a hinge cap that can dispense liquid contents little by little. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there have been known capped containers that are attached to the mouth of a container body filled with a liquid content such as chili oil, and that can dispense the liquid content in small amounts by pressing the central top surface of the nozzle-equipped cap while the container body is tilted.However, there has been an issue in that the pressing part of the cap that presses when dispensing is difficult to elastically deform.

[0003] Therefore, a hinge cap has been known in the past that includes a cap body that is attached to a container body and an upper lid that is attached to the cap body via a hinge portion, in which the cap body has an attachment portion that is attached to the mouth of the container body, a cylindrical wall formed at the top of the attachment portion, a pressing portion that closes the inside of the upper end of the cylindrical wall, and a nozzle portion that ejects the liquid contents from the cylindrical wall when pressure is applied by the pressing portion, and the upper lid has a sealing portion whose inner surface is in close contact with the tip opening of the nozzle portion when closed, and the pressing portion and the sealing portion are integrally molded from an elastic resin that can be elastically deformed (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-35033 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the hinge cap described in Patent Document 1, when the lid is closed, the seal made of elastic resin seals the nozzle, but when the internal pressure inside the cap increases, the elastic resin is easily deformed, which creates a problem in that there is a risk of liquid leaking from the seal.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to solve the above problems and to provide a hinge cap that can reliably seal the nozzle portion even if the internal pressure rises when the lid is closed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a hinge cap comprising a cap body that is attached to a container body and an upper lid that is attached to the cap body via a hinge portion, wherein the cap body has a cylindrical wall portion that communicates with the container body, a pressing portion that closes the upper part of the cylindrical wall portion, and a nozzle portion that ejects the content liquid from the cylindrical wall portion when pressure is applied by the pressing portion, and the upper lid has a side wall portion that surrounds the cylindrical wall portion of the cap body, an upper lid elastic portion that is formed through the side wall portion and whose inner surface is in close contact with the tip of the nozzle portion to form a seal portion when the lid is closed, and a deformation suppression member that is located inside the upper lid elastic portion and is integrated with the upper lid elastic portion, avoiding the center of the seal portion, and wherein the pressing portion and the upper lid elastic portion are formed of an elastic resin, and the portions other than the pressing portion and the upper lid elastic portion are formed of a basic resin.

[0008] In one embodiment of the hinge cap, the deformation prevention member has a pair of vertical reinforcing portions connected to the side wall portion at the upper and lower ends at two locations a predetermined distance apart around the center of the sealing portion, and a connecting reinforcing portion that connects the vertical reinforcing portions while avoiding the center of the sealing portion; the upper lid has a top wall and, as side wall portions, an inclined side wall that inclines downward from the periphery of the top wall, and a side peripheral wall that hangs down from the lower end of the inclined side wall; the inclined side wall has an opening drilled on the nozzle portion side, and a deformed wall portion that serves as the upper lid elastic portion and closes the opening, and the deformed wall portion has an inner surface that forms the sealing portion; and the pressing portion and the upper lid elastic portion are molded integrally by two-color molding. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] By adopting the above-mentioned configuration, the hinge cap of the present invention reinforces the elastic portion of the upper lid with a deformation prevention member, making it difficult for the area around the sealing portion of the upper lid to deform even if the internal pressure increases when the lid is closed, thereby ensuring that the nozzle portion is reliably sealed and preventing liquid leakage. Furthermore, the hinge cap of the present invention uses less elastic resin relative to the base resin than conventional hinge caps, thereby reducing material costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a container equipped with a hinge cap according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a top view with the lid open, and (b) is a side cross-sectional view with the lid closed. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a hinge cap according to an embodiment of the present invention in an open state, in which FIG. 1A is a top view and FIG. 1B is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. [Figure 3] 1(a) is a cross-sectional side view seen from the opposite side of the opening in FIG. 1(a), and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional side view seen from the same direction as FIG. 1(b). [Figure 4] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which a container equipped with a hinge cap according to an embodiment of the present invention is in use. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Next, the hinge cap of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings by way of examples. In the following description, the upward direction in FIG. 1(b) is referred to as "upper" and the downward direction is referred to as "lower".

[0012] (Example) In Figure 1, A is a hinge cap attached to a container body D, A1 is a cap body attached to the container body D, and A2 is an upper lid connected to the cap body A1 via a hinge portion A3. A pressing portion C1 and an upper lid elastic portion C2 are integrally molded in a portion of the cap body A1 and the upper lid A2, and a deformation prevention member E is formed in the upper lid A2 to prevent deformation of the upper lid elastic portion C2. In addition, the main part of the hinge cap A, including the deformation prevention member E, is formed from a normal basic resin B such as polypropylene or polyethylene, which has a certain degree of rigidity and is difficult to deform, and the pressing portion C1 and the upper cover elastic portion C2 are formed from a flexible elastic resin C such as an elastically deformable molded body or elastomer.

[0013] The container body D has a mouth portion 1 at the top, and the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 1 has a male thread portion 2 at the top and an engaging ridge 3 at the bottom to attach the cap body A1.

[0014] The hinge cap A is formed using a two-color molding technique (core-back) in which a cavity (first mold) formed in the open state is engaged with a core (second mold), basic resin B is injected to form the entire hinge cap A, including the deformation prevention member E, and the core is then core-backed into the cavity, and elastic resin C such as an elastomer is injected to integrally mold a pressing portion C1 onto a part of the cap body A1 and an upper lid elastic portion C2 onto a part of the upper lid A2 and the deformation prevention member E. Furthermore, the hinge cap A can be integrally molded not only by two-color molding technology but also by insert molding, and the molding method is not important as long as the part of the basic resin B and the part of the elastic resin C can be integrally molded.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cap body A1 comprises an outer cylindrical wall 5 as an attachment part attached to the outer periphery of the mouth 1 of the container body D, a ring-shaped upper wall 6 extending inward from the inner edge of the upper end of the outer cylindrical wall 5 and with the upper end surface of the mouth 1 in close contact with it, an inner tube 7 extending perpendicularly from the inner edge of the upper wall 6 and inserted into the inner periphery of the mouth 1, and an inner tube 7 extending vertically from the inner edge of the upper wall 6 and extending vertically from the inner edge of the upper wall 6, with the left 90° side from the hinge part A3 being higher when viewed from above and gradually increasing in size toward the opposite right 90° side. The beveled cylindrical wall 8 gradually becomes lower, and the nozzle portion 9 has an opening 8a drilled in the higher wall surface on the left 90° side of the beveled cylindrical wall 8, with a tip opening 9a of diameter α extending diagonally upward at an angle θ to the horizontal, and the cylindrical wall portion is made of basic resin B, and together with the beveled cylindrical wall 8, a ring-shaped inclined upper wall 10 extends inward from the upper end of the inner circumference of the beveled cylindrical wall 8 in line with the inclination, and the beveled cylindrical wall 8 and the ring-shaped pressing portion C1 are integrally connected to close the inner edge of the inclined upper wall 10 and are made of elastic resin C.

[0016] A plurality of vertical ribs 12 are arranged at equal intervals on the inner surface of the outer cylindrical wall 5, which engage (screw) with the outer periphery of the male threaded portion 2 provided on the mouth portion 1 of the container body D, and below the vertical ribs 12, a locking protrusion 13 is protruded to engage with and lock the lower outer periphery of the locking protrusion 3. In this embodiment, the cap is attached to the container body D by plugging, and the shape of the male thread portion 2 of the mouth portion 1 is transferred to the inside of each vertical rib 12 due to stress relaxation caused by creep, forming a thread groove. Also, the vertical rib 12 provided on the outer cylindrical wall 5 may be replaced with the male thread portion 2, and the male thread portion 2 provided on the mouth portion 1 may be replaced with the vertical rib 12. The upper wall 6 is provided at its upper outer edge with a lid engaging portion 14 for keeping the upper lid A2 closed.

[0017] The pressing portion C1 is formed in a truncated cone shape from a ring-shaped connecting portion 15 that is connected to the lower inner edge of the inclined upper wall 10 and inclined to match the shape of the inclined upper wall 10, an inclined peripheral wall portion 16 that inclines inward from the inner edge of the connecting portion 15 and the inner edge of the inclined upper wall 10 and extends upward to the same height, and a top wall portion 17 that closes the upper end of the inner periphery of the inclined peripheral wall portion 16.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the upper lid A2 has a disk-shaped top wall 20, a side wall portion consisting of an inclined side wall 21 that inclines downward from the periphery of the top wall 20, a side wall 22 that hangs down from the lower end of the inclined side wall 21, and a deformation suppression member E that suppresses deformation of the upper lid elastic portion C2, all of which are formed from basic resin B. When the lid is closed, the inclined side wall 21 has an opening 23 drilled on the side facing the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9, and the upper lid elastic portion C2 that covers the inner edge of the opening 23 is formed from elastic resin C.

[0019] A hinge portion A3 is connected to the side peripheral wall 22 at a predetermined position at the lower end of the outer periphery, and a gripping portion 25 for holding a finger or the like is provided on the opposite side of the hinge portion A3. An engagement portion 26 is provided at the lower end of the inner periphery, which engages with the outer periphery of the lid engagement portion 14 of the cap body A1 when the lid is closed, maintaining the lid closed. A plurality of abutment ribs 27 are arranged at equal intervals at the upper part of the inner periphery, whose lower surface abuts against the upper surface of the lid engagement portion 14 and prevents the lid from being closed.

[0020] The upper lid elastic portion C2 forms a deformable wall portion 30 that blocks the opening 23 of the inclined side wall 21 and is integrated with the inclined side wall 21, and a sealing portion 31 is formed on the inner surface of the deformable wall portion 30, which tightly seals against the tip and inner circumference of the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9 when the lid is closed.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the deformation prevention member E is composed of a pair of vertical reinforcing portions 35 that are connected to the upper and lower ends of the inner edge of the opening 23 on the inner surface of the inclined side wall 21, located at two locations across the center of the seal portion 31 and slightly larger than the diameter α of the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9, and a connecting reinforcing portion 36 that is connected to connect the pair of vertical reinforcing portions 35 and has a shape that curves upward to follow the shape of the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9.The outer surfaces of the pair of vertical reinforcing portions 35 and the connecting reinforcing portion 36 are formed on the inner surface of the deformable wall portion 30 of the upper lid elastic portion C2 so as to be integrated with each other by opening the diameter α of the tip opening 9a around the seal portion 31. In this embodiment, the deformation prevention member E is composed of a pair of vertical reinforcement portions 35 and a connecting reinforcement portion 36 that connects the vertical reinforcement portions 35, but the shape of the connecting reinforcement portion 36 is not particularly limited, and the connecting reinforcement portion 36 is not limited to a curved shape, and may be connected in a straight or V-shaped shape, etc.

[0022] Next, the manner of use and the effects of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the hinge cap A of this embodiment is integrally molded by two-color molding using a base resin B and an elastic resin C, with the cap body A1 and the top cover A2 opened via a hinge portion A3.

[0023] When molding the hinge cap A of this embodiment using two-color molding technology (core-back), in particular, the upper cover A2 is formed together with the deformation prevention member E, and then the upper cover elastic portion C2 closes the opening 23 and is integrated with the outer periphery of the inclined side wall 21, and the outer surface of the deformation prevention member E is formed to be integrated with part of the inner surface of the deformation wall portion 30.Therefore, when the core is core-backed into the cavity and the elastic resin C is filled, the elastic resin C can be filled smoothly and stably from the opening 23 side, which is also convenient as a mold structure for molding using two-color molding technology (core-back).

[0024] After the hinge cap A is formed, it is bent using the hinge portion A3 as a fulcrum, and the top cover A2 is rotated in the closing direction relative to the cap body A1 to close it. When the lid is closed, as shown in Figure 1(b), the upper lid A2 covers the area above the outer cylindrical wall 5 of the cap body A1, and the engagement portion 26 provided on the inner circumference of the side wall 22 of the upper lid A2 engages with the lid engagement portion 14 on the outer circumference of the upper wall 6 of the cap body A1, maintaining the closed state. Furthermore, the lower surface of the abutment rib 27 of the top cover A2 abuts against the upper surface of the cover engagement portion 14 to stop the cover from closing, so the top cover A2 will not be pushed open too far and become disengaged. When the lid is closed, the sealing portion 31 on the inner surface of the deformable wall portion 30 of the upper lid elastic portion C2 within the opening 23 of the inclined side wall 21 of the upper lid A2 elastically deforms in close contact with the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9 of the cap body A1, sealing the nozzle portion 9.

[0025] The hinge cap A in the closed state is attached by fitting the cap body A1 to the mouth portion 1 of the container body D filled with the liquid content. In this embodiment, when the outer cylindrical wall 5 of the cap body A1 is plugged onto the mouth 1 of the container body D, the shape of the male thread portion 2 of the mouth 1 is transferred to the inside of the vertical rib 12 of the cap body A1, and the thread groove formed in the vertical rib 12 is screwed into the male thread portion 2 and attached.

[0026] When a container equipped with the hinge cap A of this embodiment is closed, the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9 of the cap body A1 comes into close contact with the seal portion 31 on the inner surface of the deformed wall portion 30 of the upper lid elastic portion C2 of the upper lid A2, and the elasticity of the upper lid elastic portion C2 improves the adhesion force and seals, so that even if the container is turned over, the contents will not leak out from the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9 and soil the outside.

[0027] Furthermore, during molding, a deformation prevention member E made of rigid basic resin B is connected to the inner surface of the deformable wall portion 30 of the elastically deformable upper lid elastic portion C2, except for the periphery of the sealing portion 31, so as not to interfere with the tight-fitting portion of the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9, which has a diameter of at least α.As a result, the deformable wall portion 30 of the upper lid elastic portion C2 is less likely to deform outward, thereby improving its shape retention. The deformation prevention member E improves the shape retention of the deformable wall portion 30, so that even if the internal pressure inside the container body D rises or the seal portion 31 is pushed outward from inside the nozzle portion 9, deformation of the entire deformable wall portion 30 is suppressed, and the tight contact between the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9 and the seal portion 31 is maintained, preventing the seal portion 31 and the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9 from coming loose.

[0028] Generally, the material cost of flexible elastic resin C, such as an elastically deformable elastomer, is higher than that of basic resin B, such as polypropylene or polyethylene. Therefore, in this embodiment, the upper lid elastic portion C2 is formed by molding the deformable wall portion 30 integrally with the inclined side wall 21 so as to close the opening 23 opened in the inclined side wall 21 of the upper lid A2, thereby reducing the amount of elastic resin C used, and thereby reducing material costs.

[0029] When using a container equipped with the hinge cap A of this embodiment, by placing your fingers on the handle 25 of the top lid A2 and lifting it, the engagement between the engagement portion 26 of the top lid A2 and the lid engagement portion 14 of the cap body A1 is released, and the top lid A2 rotates around the hinge portion A3 as a fulcrum to open it. When the lid is opened, the tight contact between the seal portion 31 on the inner surface of the deformed wall portion 30 of the upper lid A2 and the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9 of the cap body A1 is released, and the nozzle portion 9 opens.

[0030] The container body D with the hinge cap A attached is tilted so that the nozzle portion 9 of the cap body A1 faces downward, and the liquid content is moved from the container body D to the inside of the cap body A1. As a result, even if the liquid content that has moved into the cap body A1 flows into the nozzle portion 9 through the opening 8a of the obliquely cut cylindrical wall 8, it will not flow out of the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9 if left as is.

[0031] Next, as shown in Figure 4, when the top wall portion 17 of the elastically deformable pressing portion C1 of the cap body A1 is pressed from the outside to the inside, the inside of the container is pressurized, and the content liquid is pushed out from the nozzle portion 9 and ejected from the tip opening 9a. When pressing the pressing portion C1, the inclined upper wall 10 formed of the connected basic resin B is higher on the nozzle portion 9 side and the inclined peripheral wall portion 16 of the adjacent portion becomes narrower, so that it does not deform and serves as a fulcrum, making it easy to press the pressing portion C1 from the opposite side toward the nozzle portion 9 side and stabilizing the direction of deformation.

[0032] When the pressure on the pressing part C1 is released, the pressure inside the container is stopped and the discharge of the content liquid is also stopped, so by repeatedly pressing and releasing the pressing part C1, the content liquid can be discharged drop by drop. When the pressure on the pressing portion C1 is released, the pressing portion C1 returns to its original position, creating a negative pressure inside the container and sucking the liquid contents inward through the opening 8a in the obliquely cut cylindrical wall 8 and the nozzle portion 9, so that the liquid contents adhering near the tip opening 9a are also sucked into the nozzle portion 9.Furthermore, when the pressing portion C1 returns to its original position and the negative pressure is released, the liquid contents again flow into and block the opening 8a in the obliquely cut cylindrical wall 8 and the nozzle portion 9, preventing the liquid contents from dripping out. In addition, the inclined peripheral wall portion 16 adjacent to the nozzle portion 9 side of the inclined upper wall 10, which does not deform, serves as a fulcrum for restoring the deformed pressing portion C1 to the side opposite the nozzle portion 9 side of the inclined upper wall 10, thereby stabilizing the elastic deformation.

[0033] After using a container equipped with the hinge cap A of this embodiment, the lid can be closed again, causing the tip opening 9a of the nozzle portion 9 of the cap body A1 to be tightly fitted with the seal portion 31 on the inner surface of the deformable wall portion 30 of the upper lid elastic portion C2 of the upper lid A2, and sealing by the elasticity of the upper lid elastic portion C2.Furthermore, the deformation prevention member E allows the lid to remain closed without the seal being removed even if the internal pressure increases. [Industrial Applicability]

[0034] The hinge cap of the present invention reinforces the elastic portion of the top lid with a deformation-preventing member, making it difficult for the area around the sealing portion of the top lid to deform even when the internal pressure rises when the lid is closed, thereby ensuring that the nozzle portion is securely sealed and preventing liquid leakage.Therefore, the hinge cap is suitable as a cap for containers that require a hygienic usage environment, for example, for containers filled with liquid foods such as chili oil that dispense the contents in small amounts, or liquid medicines such as mouthwash. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] A Hinge cap A1 Cap body A2 top lid A3 Hinge part B Basic resin C Elastic resin C1 Pressing part C2 Upper lid elastic part D Container body E Deformation prevention member α diameter θ angle 1 Mouth 2 Male thread 3 Engagement ridge 5 Outer cylindrical wall 6 Upper wall 7 Inner cylinder 8 Diagonal cut cylinder wall (cylinder wall part) 8a hole 9 Nozzle section 9a Tip opening 10 Inclined upper wall (cylindrical wall) 12 Vertical ribs 13 Locking protrusion 14 Lid engagement part 15 Continuous section 16 Inclined peripheral wall section 17 Ceiling wall 20 Top Wall 21 Inclined sidewall (sidewall section) 22 Side peripheral wall (side wall part) 23 Opening 25 Knob 26 Engagement part 27 Contact rib 30 Deformed wall 31 Seal part 35 Vertical reinforcement 36 Connection reinforcement part

Claims

1. A hinge cap including a cap body that is attached to a container body and a top lid that is attached to the cap body via a hinge portion, the cap body has a cylindrical wall portion communicating with the container body, a pressing portion closing an upper portion of the cylindrical wall portion, and a nozzle portion discharging the content liquid from the cylindrical wall portion when pressure is applied by the pressing portion; The top lid has a side wall portion surrounding the cylindrical wall portion of the cap body, an upper lid elastic portion formed to penetrate the side wall portion and having an inner surface that comes into close contact with the tip of the nozzle portion to form a seal portion when the top lid is closed, and a deformation suppression member that is integrated with the upper lid elastic portion inside the upper lid elastic portion and avoids the center of the seal portion, A hinge cap, characterized in that the pressing portion and the upper cover elastic portion are formed of an elastic resin, and the rest of the hinge cap is formed of a basic resin.

2. The hinge cap described in claim 1, characterized in that the deformation prevention member has a pair of vertical reinforcing portions connected to the side wall portion at the upper and lower ends at two locations spaced a predetermined distance apart across the center of the sealing portion, and a connecting reinforcing portion connecting the vertical reinforcing portions while avoiding the center of the sealing portion.

3. The upper cover has a top wall, and a side wall portion including an inclined side wall that is inclined downward from the peripheral edge of the top wall and widens in diameter, and a side peripheral wall that is suspended from the lower end of the inclined side wall, the inclined side wall has an opening formed on the nozzle portion side and a deformable wall portion serving as an upper lid elastic portion that closes the opening, 3. The hinge cap according to claim 1, wherein the deformed wall portion has an inner surface that serves as a sealing portion.

4. 3. The hinge cap according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion and the upper cover elastic portion are integrally molded by two-color molding.

5. 4. The hinge cap according to claim 3, wherein the pressing portion and the upper cover elastic portion are integrally molded by two-color molding.

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