cap

Abstract

The present invention provides a cap that can reduce the final opening force required when pulling the tensioning mechanism to detach the release member from the cap body. [Solution] A cap 1 is provided in which a dispensing hole is formed in the cap body 6 when a detachment member 24 detaches from the cap body 6. The detachment member 24 has a detachment body 26 surrounded by a weakened portion 25 that can be broken, a support column 27 erected on the detachment body 26, and a pulling operation portion 28 provided at the tip of the support column 27. The support column 27 is positioned on one end 31 of the detachment body 26 in the radial direction 11 of the cap body 6, and a recessed portion 34 is formed on the other end 32 opposite to the one end 31 of the detachment body 26. An inclined portion 40 is formed on the detachment body 26 that slopes downward from one end 31 toward the bottom of the recessed portion 34 on the other end 32.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap in which a detachment member is provided on a cap body that can be attached to a container, and when the detachment member detaches from the cap body, a pouring hole is formed in the cap body.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of cap, for example, as described in the following patent document, a detachment member is provided on a cap body that can be attached to a bottle body mouth cylinder, and when the detachment member detaches from the cap body, a pouring hole is formed in the cap body.

[0003] The detachment member has a removal plate portion whose periphery is surrounded by a breaking line, a support column (leg piece) erected on the removal plate portion, and a pull ring provided at the tip of the support column. The removal plate portion is a circular flat plate member.

[0004] According to this, when the lid is opened and the pull ring is pulled upward with a fingertip, the breaking line breaks over the entire circumference, the removal plate portion of the detachment member detaches from the cap body, and a pouring hole is formed in the pouring cylinder of the cap body.

[0005] When the breaking line breaks as described above, first, the breaking line at the base portion of the lower end of the support column breaks, then the breaking progresses in the circumferential direction of the breaking line, and finally, the breaking line on the opposite side of the base portion of the support column in the radial direction of the cap body breaks. As a result, the removal plate portion is separated and detached from the cap body.

[0006] Hereinafter, the tensile force required to first break the breaking line at the base portion of the support column is referred to as the initial opening force, and the tensile force required to finally break the breaking line on the opposite side of the base portion of the support column is referred to as the final opening force.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

[0008] In the conventional design described above, the final opening force is large, which presents a problem in that a large tensile force must be applied to the pull ring in the final stage of pulling the pull ring to detach the removal plate from the cap body.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a cap that can reduce the final opening force required when pulling the tensioning mechanism to detach the detachment member from the cap body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a cap body that can be attached to a container, and a detachable member is provided on the cap body. A cap in which a dispensing hole is formed in the cap body when a detachable member detaches from the cap body, The detachment member comprises a detachment body surrounded by a weakened portion that can be broken and attached to the cap body via the weakened portion, a support column erected on the detachment body, and a tensioning operation portion provided at the tip of the support column. The support column is positioned on one end of the detachable part body in the radial direction of the cap body. A recess is formed on the opposite end of the detachable part body, in the opposite direction from the direction from the base of the support column towards the tip. The detachable part body is characterized by having an inclined portion that slopes downward from one end of the detachable part body towards the bottom of the recess at the other end.

[0011] According to this, by pulling the pull-operated part with your fingertips, the weakened part breaks, the detachable part body of the detachable component separates from the cap body, and a dispensing hole is formed in the cap body. As a result, the unopened cap is opened, and the contents of the container are dispensed outside the container through the dispensing hole.

[0012] When the detachment part is separated from the cap body by pulling the tensioning mechanism in this manner, the circumferential fracture range of the weakened part that breaks all at once at the end is reduced, thus lowering the final opening force. As a result, the tensile force that needs to be applied to the tensioning mechanism in the final stage of separating the detachment part of the detachment member from the cap body can be reduced.

[0013] Furthermore, since the inclined section slopes downward from one end of the detachable section body where the support column is located towards the bottom of the recess at the other end, it is easy to hook the other end of the pull-out mechanism by inserting your fingertip into the recess. This allows you to reliably pull the pull-out mechanism with your fingertip and easily open the cap.

[0014] According to the cap of the present invention, the detachable part body has a bottom flat portion at the bottom of the recessed portion, Preferably, the inclined portion slopes downward from one end of the detachable part body towards the flat bottom portion at the other end.

[0015] According to the cap of the present invention, the detachable part body has an upper flat portion around the upper part of the recessed portion, It is preferable that a support column and a weakened section are provided in the upper flat section.

[0016] According to the cap of the present invention, it is preferable that the detachable part body has a vertical wall surrounding the recessed part.

[0017] According to the cap of the present invention, the cap body has a dispensing tube, The detachable part is attached to the bottom of the dispensing cylinder via the weakened part. It is preferable that the weakened portion breaks and the detachable member separates from the cap body, thereby forming a dispensing hole at the bottom of the dispensing cylinder.

[0018] According to this, by pulling the pulling operation part with a fingertip, the weakened part breaks, the detachment part main body detaches from the cap main body, and a pouring hole is formed at the bottom in the pouring cylinder. As a result, the cap is opened, and the content in the container is poured out from the pouring cylinder through the pouring hole to the outside.

[0019] According to the cap of the present invention, it is preferable to have a lid for opening and closing the pouring cylinder.

Effect of the Invention

[0020] As described above, according to the present invention, when pulling the pulling operation part to detach the detachment part main body from the cap main body, since the breaking range in the circumferential direction of the weakened part that breaks at once finally is reduced, the final opening force is decreased, and in the final stage of detaching the detachment part main body from the cap main body, the pulling force to be applied to the pulling operation part can be reduced. As a result, it becomes easy to initially open an unopened cap.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is a cross-sectional view of the cap in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of the detachment member of the cap. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view of the detachment member of the cap. [Figure 4] It is a view taken in the direction of arrow X-X in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a view taken in the direction of arrow Y-Y in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view of the cap, showing an opened state. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view of the detachment member of the cap, showing a state when pulling the pull ring with a fingertip. [Figure 8] It is a view of the detachment member of the cap as seen from the other end side of the detachment part main body (arrow A side in FIG. 7), showing a state in the final stage when the detachment part main body detaches from the bottom in the pouring cylinder. [Figure 9]This is a cross-sectional view of the cap release member in a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view of the cap release member in Reference Example 1 of the present invention. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the detachable part of the cap as viewed from the other end of the detachable part body, illustrating the final stage when the detachable part body detaches from the bottom of the dispensing cylinder. [Figure 12] This is a cross-sectional view of the cap release member in Reference Example 2 of the present invention. [Figure 13] This diagram shows the detachable part of the cap as viewed from the other end of the detachable part body, illustrating the final stage when the detachable part body detaches from the bottom of the dispensing cylinder. [Figure 14] This is a cross-sectional view of the cap release member in Reference Example 3 of the present invention. [Figure 15] This graph shows the relationship between the stroke of the release part body and the opening force when the cap is first opened in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This graph shows the relationship between the stroke of the release part body and the opening force when the cap is first opened in Reference Examples 1 to 3 of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment)

[0023] In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, 1 is a cap that is attached to a container 2, such as a PET bottle. The cap 1 has a cap body 6 that can be attached to the mouth 3 of the container 2, and a screw-type lid 7 that can be attached to the cap body 6.

[0024] Although the cap body 6 is directly attached to the mouth 3 of the container 2, it may also be attached indirectly to the mouth 3 via an inner stopper or the like. The container 2 contains a liquid, such as water or seasoning.

[0025] The direction of the axis 9 passing through the center of the cap body 6 is defined as the vertical direction 10, the direction perpendicular to the axis 9 is defined as the radial direction 11, and the circumferential direction centered on the axis 9 is defined as the circumferential direction 12, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0026] The cap body 6 includes a cylindrical outer cylinder 14 and an inner cylinder 15 facing each other in the radial direction 11, a top wall 16 that closes the space between the upper ends of the outer cylinder 14 and the inner cylinder 15, a cylindrical threaded tube 17 projecting upward from the top wall 16, and a dispensing tube 18 provided inside the threaded tube 17 in the radial direction 11.

[0027] A mounting groove 20, which is open at the bottom, is formed around the entire circumference between the outer cylinder 14 and the inner cylinder 15. When the mouth 3 of the container 2 is inserted into the mounting groove 20 from below, the outer cylinder 14 fits onto the outer circumference of the mouth 3, and the inner cylinder 15 fits onto the inner circumference of the mouth 3, thereby attaching the cap body 6 to the container 2.

[0028] A male thread 21 is formed on the outer circumference of the threaded cylinder 17. The inner circumference of the tip of the threaded cylinder 17 and the outer circumference of the dispensing cylinder 18 are integrally connected, and in this way the dispensing cylinder 18 is supported by the threaded cylinder 17. The tip of the dispensing cylinder 18 protrudes above the screw cylinder 17, and the bottom 18a of the dispensing cylinder 18 is housed inside the screw cylinder 17.

[0029] The cap body 6 is provided with a release member 24. As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the release member 24 has a release member body 26 surrounded by a breakable weakened portion 25 and attached to the bottom 18a of the dispensing cylinder 18 via the weakened portion 25, a support column 27 erected on the release member body 26, and a pull ring 28 (an example of a pulling operation part) provided at the tip of the support column 27.

[0030] The weakened portion 25 has a thin-walled structure with reduced thickness, and as shown in Figure 6, when the weakened portion 25 breaks and the detachable member 24 detaches from the cap body 6, a dispensing hole 30 is formed in the bottom 18a of the dispensing cylinder 18. As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the support column 27 is positioned at one end 31 of the detachable part body 26 in the radial direction 11. The pull ring 28 is housed inside the dispensing cylinder 18.

[0031] On the other end 32 of the detachable part body 26, opposite to one end 31, a recessed portion 34 is formed that slopes downward (one example being in the opposite direction to the direction from the base portion 27a of the support column 27 to the tip portion 27b).

[0032] The detachable part body 26 has a vertical wall 36 surrounding the recessed part 34, a bottom flat portion 37 formed at the bottom of the recessed part 34, and an upper flat portion 38 formed around the upper part of the recessed part 34. An inclined portion 40 is formed on the detachable part body 26 that slopes downward from one end 31 toward the bottom flat portion 37 (an example of the bottom of the recessed part 34) at the other end 32. The weakening portion 25 and the support column 27 are provided on the upper flat portion 38.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the lid 7 opens and closes the dispensing cylinder 18 and has a circular lid plate 45, a cylindrical skirt 46 provided on the outer edge of the lid plate 45, and a cylindrical sealing member 47 provided on the inside of the skirt 46 in the radial direction 11.

[0034] A female thread 48 is formed on the inner circumference of the skirt 46. The sealing member 47 protrudes downward from the lid plate 45. When the cap 1 is closed, the male thread 21 and the female thread 48 are screwed together, and the sealing member 47 is inserted into the dispensing cylinder 18 and makes close contact with the inner surface of the dispensing cylinder 18 around its entire circumference. This seals the space between the lid 7 and the dispensing cylinder 18. The following explains the operation of the above configuration.

[0035] When opening an unopened cap 1 for the first time (hereinafter referred to as "initial opening"), first, as shown in Figure 6, rotate the lid 7 in the opening direction 50 to remove it from the cap body 6. Next, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 7, hook your fingertip 51 onto the pull ring 28 and pull the pull ring 28 upwards.

[0036] As a result, an upward tensile force F acts on the pull ring 28, causing the weakened portion 25 to break all around, as shown in Figure 6, and the detachment portion body 26 of the detachment member 24 to detach from the bottom 18a (cap body 6) inside the dispensing cylinder 18, forming a dispensing hole 30 in the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18.

[0037] In this process, the weakened portion 25 first breaks at the base portion 27a of the support column 27, and finally breaks at the location P opposite to the base portion 27a of the support column 27. The tensile force F required to break the weakened portion 25 at the base portion 27a of the support column 27 is called the initial breaking force, and the tensile force F required to break the weakened portion 25 at the location P opposite to the base portion 27a of the support column 27 is called the final breaking force.

[0038] Because a recessed portion 34 and an inclined portion 40 are formed in the detachable part body 26, when the pull ring 28 is pulled to detach the detachable part body 26 from the bottom portion 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18, the detachable part body 26 becomes more flexible in the vertical direction 10, and as shown in Figure 8, the circumferential fracture range W1 of the weakened part 25 that is last to break all at once at the location P opposite to the base portion 27a of the support column 27 is reduced.

[0039] This reduces the final opening force, and in the final stage of separating the detachment part body 26 from the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18, the tensile force F that needs to be applied to the pull ring 28 can be reduced. Consequently, it becomes easier to open the unopened cap 1 first, and splashing and splattering of residual liquid adhering to the back of the weakened part 25, which is the last to break, can be suppressed.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the inclined portion 40 slopes downward from one end 31 of the detachable portion body 26 where the support column 27 is located towards the bottom flat portion 37 of the recessed portion 34 at the other end 32. Therefore, by inserting the fingertip 51 into the recessed portion 34, it is easy to hook it onto the other end of the pull ring 28. This allows the pull ring 28 to be reliably pulled with the fingertip 51, making it easy to open the cap 1.

[0041] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 3, the detachable part body 26 has a bottom flat portion 37, so the detachable part body 26 of the first embodiment will hereinafter be referred to as the slope shape with a bottom flat portion. (Second Embodiment)

[0042] In the first embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 3, a bottom flat portion 37 is formed at the bottom of the recessed portion 34. However, in the second embodiment described below, as shown in Figure 9, a bottom flat portion 37 is not formed at the bottom of the recessed portion 34, and the inclined portion 40 slopes downward from one end 31 of the detachable portion body 60 towards the bottom of the recessed portion 34 at the other end 32.

[0043] According to this, similar to the first embodiment, the final opening force is reduced, and the tensile force F to be applied to the pull ring 28 in the final stage of separating the detachment part body 60 from the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18 can be reduced.

[0044] Furthermore, by inserting the fingertip 51 into the recess 34, it is easy to hook it onto the other end of the pull ring 28, thereby allowing the fingertip 51 to reliably pull the pull ring 28 and easily open the cap 1.

[0045] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 9, the detachable part body 60 does not have a bottom flat portion 37, so the detachable part body 60 of the second embodiment will hereinafter be referred to as the slope shape without a bottom flat portion. (Reference example) The following describes several reference examples relating to the first and second embodiments mentioned above.

[0046] First, in Reference Example 1, as shown in Figure 10, the detachable part body 101 does not have recessed parts 34 and inclined parts 40 like in the first and second embodiments, and the detachable part body 101 is a flat plate-shaped member (hereinafter referred to as flat shape).

[0047] According to this, in the case of the flat-shaped detachable part body 101, when the pull ring 28 is pulled to detach the detachable part body 101 from the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18, as shown in Figure 11, the circumferential fracture range W2 of the weakened part 25 that is last to break all at once at location P opposite to the base portion 27a of the support column 27 is larger than the fracture range W1 in the first embodiment described above (see Figure 8).

[0048] Therefore, the final opening force is greater than in the first and second embodiments, and the tensile force F that must be applied to the pull ring 28 in the final stage of separating the detachment part body 101 from the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18 becomes larger than in the first and second embodiments. Next, in Reference Example 2, as shown in Figure 12, the detachable part body 102 is a member with a mortar-shaped (hereinafter referred to as mortar-shaped) form in which the central part is pointed downwards.

[0049] According to this, in the mortar-shaped detachment body 102, when the pull ring 28 is pulled to detach the detachment body 102 from the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18, as shown in Figure 13, the circumferential fracture range W3 of the weakened portion 25 that is broken all at once at the point P opposite to the base portion 27a of the support column 27 is larger than the fracture range W1 in the first embodiment described above (see Figure 8).

[0050] Therefore, the final opening force increases compared to the first and second embodiments, and the tensile force F that must be applied to the pull ring 28 in the final stage of separating the detachment part body 102 from the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18 becomes larger than in the first and second embodiments. Furthermore, the fracture range W3 (see Figure 13) in Reference Example 2 above is smaller than the fracture range W2 (see Figure 11) in Reference Example 1 above.

[0051] Furthermore, in Reference Example 3, as shown in Figure 14, the recessed portion 34 is formed on one end 31 of the detachable portion body 103, not on the other end 32. A bottom flat portion 37 is formed at the bottom of the recessed portion 34. The detachable portion body 103 has a reverse inclined portion 104 that slopes downward from the other end 32 toward the bottom flat portion 37 on the one end 31. That is, the reverse inclined portion 104 is inclined in the opposite direction to the inclined portion 40 (see Figure 3) in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the detachable part body 103 in Reference Example 3 will hereafter be referred to as the inverted slope shape.

[0052] According to this, in the reverse-slope shaped detachment section body 103, when the pull ring 28 is pulled to initially break the weakened portion 25 of the base portion 27a of the support column 27, the initial opening force is greater than in the first and second embodiments. Therefore, the tensile force F that should be applied to the pull ring 28 in the initial stage becomes larger than in the first and second embodiments.

[0053] Furthermore, the final opening force is greater than in the first and second embodiments, and the tensile force F that must be applied to the pull ring 28 in the final stage of separating the detachment part body 103 from the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18 becomes greater than in the first and second embodiments.

[0054] Figure 15 shows the relationship between the opening force required to pull the pull ring 28 to detach the detachment body 26 from the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18 when opening for the first time, and the stroke S, in the detachment body 26 with a flat bottom and slope shape (see Figure 3) of the first embodiment.

[0055] Furthermore, stroke S corresponds to the distance that the base portion 27a of the support column 27 moves upward from the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18 when the weakened portion 25 breaks, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 7 or in Figure 8.

[0056] Graph G1, shown as a dotted line in Figure 15, represents a case where the wall thickness T of the detachable part body 26 is 1.5 mm, while graph G2, shown as a solid line, represents a case where the wall thickness T of the detachable part body 26 is 0.5 mm.

[0057] According to this, the initial opening force peak occurs when the stroke S reaches approximately 2 mm in both graphs G1 and G2. Furthermore, the final opening force peak occurs when the stroke S reaches approximately 18 mm in graph G1 and when the stroke S reaches approximately 19 mm in graph G2.

[0058] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the detachable body 60 with a slope shape and no flat bottom portion, the relationship between the opening force and the stroke S is approximately the same as that shown in graphs G1 and G2 in Figure 15.

[0059] Figure 16 shows the relationship between the opening force required to pull the pull ring 28 to detach the detachment body 26 from the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18 when first opened, and the stroke S, for the flat-shaped detachment body 101 of Reference Example 1 (see Figure 10), the mortar-shaped detachment body 102 of Reference Example 2 (see Figure 12), and the inverted slope-shaped detachment body 103 of Reference Example 3 (see Figure 14).

[0060] In Figure 16, graph G3, shown as a dotted line, represents the flat-shaped detachment body 101 of Reference Example 1; graph G4, shown as a solid line, represents the mortar-shaped detachment body 102 of Reference Example 2; and graph G5, shown as a dashed line, represents the inverted slope-shaped detachment body 103 of Reference Example 3.

[0061] Table 1 below lists the initial and final opening force values ​​for graphs G1 and G2 in Figure 15 and graphs G3 to G5 in Figure 16. In this table, the first embodiment (wall thickness T=1.5mm) corresponds to the value in graph G1 in Figure 15, the first embodiment (wall thickness T=0.5mm) corresponds to the value in graph G2 in Figure 15, reference example 1 (flat shape) corresponds to the value in graph G3 in Figure 16, reference example 2 (mortar shape) corresponds to the value in graph G4 in Figure 16, and reference example 3 (inverted slope shape) corresponds to the value in graph G5 in Figure 16. [Table 1] TIFF2026060991000002.tif111131

[0062] According to graphs G1 to G5 in Figures 15 and 16 and Table 1 above, the final opening force of the detachable body 26 with a flat bottom and slope shape in the first embodiment and the detachable body 60 without a flat bottom and slope shape in the second embodiment are lower than the final opening forces of the flat-shaped detachable body 101, the mortar-shaped detachable body 102, and the inverted slope-shaped detachable body 103 in Reference Examples 1 to 3.

[0063] As a result, in the first and second embodiments, the tensile force F to be applied to the pull ring 28 in the final stage of detaching the detachment body 26,60 from the bottom 18a inside the dispensing cylinder 18 can be reduced.

[0064] Furthermore, the inverted slope-shaped detachment body 103 of Reference Example 3 has the problem of a significantly increased initial opening force. In contrast, the initial opening forces of the slope-shaped detachment body 26 with a flat bottom portion of the first embodiment and the slope-shaped detachment body 60 without a flat bottom portion of the second embodiment are significantly lower than the initial opening force of the inverted slope-shaped detachment body 103 of Reference Example 3.

[0065] In each of the above embodiments, as shown in Figure 1, the cap 1 has a screw-type lid 7 that can be attached to the cap body 6. However, it is not limited to a screw-type lid, and the cap 1 may also have a hinge-type lid 7 in which the lid 7 is rotatably connected to the cap body 6 via a hinge. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 cap 2 containers 6. Cap body 7 Lid 11 Radial 18 Pour tube 18a Bottom of the dispensing cylinder 24 Detachable member 25 Weakened part 26,60 Detachable part body 27 Pillar 27a Base of the support post 27b Tip of the support post 28. Pull ring (pulling operation part) 30 Pour hole 31 One end side 32 Other end side 34 Recessed area 36 Vertical wall 37 Bottom flat part 38 Upper flat part 40 Slope

Claims

1. A detachable member is provided on the cap body that can be attached to the container. A cap in which a dispensing hole is formed in the cap body when a detachable member detaches from the cap body, The detachment member comprises a detachment body surrounded by a weakened portion that can be broken and attached to the cap body via the weakened portion, a support column erected on the detachment body, and a tensioning operation portion provided at the tip of the support column. The support column is positioned on one end of the detachable part body in the radial direction of the cap body. A recess is formed on the opposite end of the detachable part body, in the opposite direction from the direction from the base of the support column towards the tip. A cap characterized by having an inclined portion formed on the detachable portion body that slopes downward from one end of the detachable portion body toward the bottom of the recess on the other end.

2. The detachable part body has a flat bottom portion at the bottom of the recessed portion. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclined portion slopes downward from one end of the detachable portion body toward the bottom flat portion at the other end.

3. The detachable part body has an upper flat portion around the upper part of the recessed portion. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that a support column and a weakening portion are provided in the upper flat portion.

4. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the detachable part body has a vertical wall surrounding the recessed part.

5. The cap body has a dispensing tube. The detachable part is attached to the bottom of the dispensing cylinder via the weakened part. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the weakened portion breaks and the detachable member separates from the cap body, thereby forming a dispensing hole at the bottom of the dispensing cylinder.

6. The cap according to claim 5, characterized by having a lid for opening and closing the dispensing cylinder.

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