Refill cap

Abstract

The objective is to create a refill cap that attaches to the spout of a refill container, which is the source of the refill, and that enables stable refilling of the liquid contents. [Solution] The device comprises a stopper member 20 equipped with a dispensing cylinder 25 for dispensing liquid contents, and a cap member 10 that houses the stopper member 20. The cap member 10 is integrally formed and includes a cover 11 that is attached to the mouth portion 31, a cap 15 that seals the stopper member 20, a pull ring 18 for pulling up the cap 15, and a weakening portion 19a that connects the cover 11 and the cap 15 in a breakable manner. The cap 15 is configured to move axially back and forth between the inside and outside of the cover 11 while holding the dispensing cylinder 25. The stopper member 20 is integrally formed and includes a flange portion 21 held inside the cover 11, a fitting cylinder 22 that fits into the mouth portion 31, and a deformable portion 24 that is elastically deformable between the flange portion 21 and the dispensing cylinder 25.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a refill cap.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a refill container that is refilled by attaching a nozzle member to the mouth of a refill container, which is the source of the content liquid, and pouring the content liquid into the main container (the container to be refilled) through the nozzle member (for example, Patent Document 1). Also known is a refill container comprising a standing pouch provided with a pouring spout (for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the refill container described in Patent Document 1, in order to refill the content liquid from the refill container into the main container, as shown in FIG. 5 thereof, it is necessary to gradually tilt the refill container so that it is in an inverted posture with the nozzle cylinder of the refill container approaching the inlet of the main container. However, in the case of a refill container with an increased capacity, there is a problem that the large weight makes the hand unstable and the refilling operation tends to be difficult.

[0005] Also, in the case of a refill container comprising a standing pouch described in Patent Document 2, when the volume of the content liquid in the refill container decreases during the refilling operation, the body of the standing pouch folds and the pouring spout (pouring spout) becomes unstable, so that the content liquid tends to spill.

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the prior art described above by creating a refill cap that is attached to the mouthpiece of a refill container, which is the source of the refill, and that enables stable refilling of the liquid contents. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Among the means for solving the above problems, the first means of the present invention is: A refill cap that is attached to the spout of a refill container and transfers the liquid contents of the refill container into the refill container, It comprises a stopper member equipped with a dispensing tube for dispensing the liquid contents, and a cap member for housing the stopper member. The cap member is integrally formed and comprises a cover fitted to the mouthpiece, a cap that seals the stopper member, a pull ring for lifting the cap, and a weakening portion that connects the cover and the cap in a breakable manner, and is configured to be able to move axially back and forth between the inside and outside of the cover while the cap holds the dispensing cylinder. The stopper member is characterized by being integrally formed with a flange portion that is held immovably within the cover, a fitting cylinder that fits into the mouth portion, and a deformable portion that is elastically deformable between the flange portion and the dispensing cylinder. In the first means of the present invention, the dispensing cylinder connected to the upper part of the elastically deformable deformation section can be directed into the mouth section of the container to be refilled, thereby enabling stable refilling of the liquid contents.

[0008] Furthermore, a second means of the present invention adds to the first means described above that the stopper member has a deformable portion that reverses to a protruding state when the cap is pulled up from inside the cover via the pull ring, and a deformable portion that reverses to a retracted state when the cap is pushed back into the cover. With the above method, the dispensing cylinder can be extended outside the cover when refilling, and can be stored inside the cover after the refilling is complete.

[0009] Furthermore, a third means of the present invention is to add to the first or second means described above that a gap is provided in the portion where the fitting cylinder and the deformed portion face each other in the radial direction. In the above method, since the elastic deformation is performed smoothly as the deformable part moves within the gap, the operation of lifting and storing the dispensing cylinder can be made easier.

[0010] Furthermore, a fourth means of the present invention adds to the first, second, or third means described above that the top wall flange of the cover and the top wall of the cap face each other via a circumferentially formed opening, and the weakened portion is formed by a thin-walled bridge that detachably connects the top wall flange and the top wall. With the above method, when the cap is pulled up via the pull ring, the weakened portion breaks, allowing the cap to be separated from the cover. Furthermore, even if the cap is pushed back into the cover, the weakened portion remains broken, making it easy to determine that the refill cap has already been opened (tamper-evident function). [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In this invention, by using a stopper member having an easily deformable portion, the contents can be refilled stably, and spillage of the contents during the refilling process can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of a refillable cap illustrating an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] The cap components that make up the refill cap are shown, with (a) being a plan view of the cap component and (b) being a cross-sectional view of the cap component. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the stopper component that makes up the refill cap. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of a refillable cap showing one step in assembling the cap component to the stopper component. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of a replacement cap showing a step of assembling a cap member to a plug member following FIG. 4. [Figure 6] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state during distribution when the replacement cap is attached to a replacement container. [Figure 7] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a replacement cap showing the state where a pull ring is pulled up as the first operation. [Figure 8] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a replacement cap showing the state where the cap is removed as an operation following FIG. 7. [Figure 9] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a replacement container and a container to be replaced showing the replacement operation.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a replacement cap showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 shows a cap member constituting the replacement cap, (a) is a plan view of the cap member, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the cap member, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a plug member constituting the replacement cap. In the following, the direction along the cap axis O passing through the center of the replacement cap 1 will be referred to as the axial direction, the vertical direction, or the height direction, the direction orthogonal to the cap axis O will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction around the cap axis O will be referred to as the circumferential direction, the opening direction, or the closing direction for explanation.

[0014] First, the configuration of the replacement cap 1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the replacement cap 1 is configured to have a plug member 20 for pouring the content liquid and a cap member 10 for housing the plug member 20 inside.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2(a)(b), the cap member 10 is integrally formed by injection molding or the like from a predetermined synthetic resin material, and includes a cover 11 that is attached to the mouth portion 31 of the refillable container 30 (described later) and a cap 15 that seals the stopper member 20. The cover 11 is integrally formed with a cylindrical side wall 12, a top wall flange 13 that extends radially inward in a ring shape from the upper end of the side wall 12, and a short cylindrical outer cylinder portion 14 that hangs down from the inner edge of the top wall flange 13. A female thread 12a is formed on the lower side of the inner circumferential surface of the side wall 12. Furthermore, an undercut-shaped locking portion 12b that protrudes radially inward is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the side wall 12 above the female thread 12a and below the lower end of the outer cylinder portion 14.

[0016] The cap 15 is integrally formed with a top wall 16 connected to the inner edge of the top wall flange 13, an inner cylindrical portion 17 hanging down from the lower surface of the top wall 16, and a ring-shaped pull ring (pulling portion) 18 connected via a connecting portion 16a provided on the upper surface of the top wall 16 and at a position radially outward from the cap axis O. Furthermore, a circumferential rib 16b is provided protruding from the lower surface of the top wall 16 and the inside of the inner cylindrical portion 17, and an internal thread 17a is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 17.

[0017] The inner edge of the top wall flange 13 and the outer edge of the top wall 16 face each other radially via a circumferentially formed opening circumferential hole 19. Multiple locations (eight in this embodiment) on the circumferential hole 19 are provided with weakening sections 19a, consisting of thin-walled bridges that are radially positioned between the top wall flange 13 and the top wall 16 and are detachably connected. These weakening sections 19a function as an anti-tampering mechanism. Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 17 constituting the cap 15 is provided with knurling 17b for anti-slip purposes (see Figure 8). Furthermore, as will be described later, after the weakened portion 19a breaks, the cap 15 can move axially back and forth between the inside and outside of the cover 11, passing through the inside of the top wall flange 13, while holding the dispensing cylinder 25.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1 or Figure 3, the stopper member 20 is composed of a ring-shaped flange portion 21, a fitting cylinder 22 hanging down from the lower surface of the inner edge of the flange portion 21, a non-deformable portion 23 connected to the upper end of the fitting cylinder 22 with a short arc shape in cross-section, a deformable portion 24 connected to the inner edge of the non-deformable portion 23 and formed with a thin-walled, substantially dome shape that is elastically deformable, and a dispensing cylinder 25 connected to the upper part of the deformable portion 24 for dispensing the contents into the refillable container 40. These are integrally formed using a synthetic resin material such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP). In such a stopper member 20, the deformable portion 24 is configured to be bendable by expanding and contracting (see Figure 9). The outer diameter of the flange portion 21 is formed to be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the locking portion 12b formed on the inner circumferential surface of the side wall 12 of the cover 11.

[0019] The outer circumferential surface of the dispensing cylinder 25 has a male thread 25a that engages with the female thread 17a formed on the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 17. The upper part of the dispensing cylinder 25 is formed so that its outer circumferential surface gradually becomes thinner towards the tip, and the tip is slightly curled radially outward. Furthermore, several (four locations in this embodiment) thickened longitudinal ribs 25b are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the dispensing cylinder 25.

[0020] The plug member 20 is capable of being reversibly deformed vertically, with the deformable portion 24 being able to reverse from the boundary with the non-deformable portion 23. As a result, the plug member 20 is configured to transition between a protruding state inverted upward, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, and a retracted state inverted downward, as shown in Figures 1 and 6. In this plug member 20, when the deformable portion 24 is in the retracted state, a gap S is formed around the portion where the deformable portion 24 and the fitting cylinder 22 face each other radially (below the non-deformable portion 23).

[0021] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a refillable cap showing one step in assembling the cap member to the stopper member, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the refillable cap showing one step in assembling the cap member to the stopper member, following Figure 4. The refillable cap 1, having the above configuration, is formed by assembling the stopper member 20 inside the cap member 10 in the assembly process shown below. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the cap member 10 is placed over the protruding stopper member 20, and the dispensing cylinder 25 is inserted into the inner cylinder portion 17. Then, the cap member 10 and the stopper member 20 are rotated relative to each other in the circumferential direction, and the male thread 25a of the dispensing cylinder 25 is screwed into the female thread 17a on the inner cylinder portion 17 (screwed state). Note that this screwing is performed with a rotation prevention jig (not shown) inserted into the dispensing cylinder 25, and the stopper member 20 fixed by engaging the vertical 25b with the rotation prevention jig.

[0022] Next, the refill cap 1 is set between the first jig 51 and the second jig 52, which constitute a pair of jigs 50 integrally provided on a capping machine (not shown). That is, as shown in Figure 5, the flange portion 21 of the capping member 20 is set on the upper end of the thin-walled cylindrical first cylindrical portion 51a formed on the upper end of the first jig 51. The thick-walled cylindrical second cylindrical portion 52a formed on the lower end of the second jig 52 is set on the upper surface of the cap member 10, with the pull ring 18 housed inside the second cylindrical portion 52a, and the lower surface of the second cylindrical portion 52a positioned to straddle the space between the top wall flange 13 and the top wall 16 of the cap member 10 in the radial direction.

[0023] Then, with the first cylindrical portion 51a of the first jig 51 and the second cylindrical portion 52a of the second jig 52 facing each other in the axial direction, the second jig 52 is used to strike in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 5. As a result, the second jig 52 pushes down the cover 11, causing the deformed portion 24 to invert into its stored state and be stored inside the cover 11. At the same time, the locked portion 21a of the flange portion 21 overcomes the locked portion 12b formed on the inner circumferential surface of the side wall 12, and the upper surface of the flange portion 21 comes into contact with the lower end of the outer cylindrical portion 14.

[0024] With the above steps completed, the assembly process of the refill cap 1 is finished, the flange portion 21 is held immovably between the lower end of the outer cylinder portion 14 and the locking portion 12b inside the cover 11, and the stopper member 20 is housed inside the cover 11 in its stored state. Furthermore, as described above, since the lower surface of the second cylindrical portion 52a is positioned to straddle the space between the top wall flange 13 and the top wall 16 of the cap member 10 in the radial direction, it is possible to prevent the weakened portion 19a from breaking when struck.

[0025] Next, we will explain the refilling process using the refill cap 1, which has the above configuration. Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the state during distribution with the refill cap attached to the refill container, Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the refill container showing the state with the pull ring pulled up as the first operation, Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the refill container showing the state with the cap removed as the operation following Figure 7, and Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of the refill container and the container to be refilled showing the refilling operation.

[0026] As shown in Figure 6, the refill cap 1, after assembly is complete, is attached to the mouth section 31 of the refill container 30. Specifically, the refill cap 1 is attached by screwing the female thread 12a formed on the inner circumferential surface of the side wall 12 of the cap member 10 into the male thread 32 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth section 31. At this time, the fitting cylinder 22 enters into the mouth section 31 and fits onto its inner circumferential surface. A sealing packing P made of rubber or the like is also placed between the upper end of the mouth section 31 and the lower surface of the flange section 21. Furthermore, a seal is provided at the tip of the dispensing cylinder 25 by fitting a circumferential rib 16b. As a result, the refill container 30 with the refill cap 1 attached can prevent leakage of the contents. Furthermore, the refill container 30 can be made of any material, such as glass, metal, or ceramic, as long as it is a container capable of holding liquid contents such as soap or shampoo, in addition to being made of synthetic resin.

[0027] To refill the liquid, first, place your finger on the pull ring 18 provided on the refill cap 1 and pull it upward firmly (pulling operation). This allows you to pull up the cap 15 via the pull ring 18, but the flange portion 21 will try to stay in place by contacting the lower end of the outer cylinder portion 14, causing multiple weakened portions 19a to break. Furthermore, when the pull ring 18 is pulled up, the dispensing cylinder 25, which is held in place by being screwed onto the inner surface of the inner cylinder portion 17 of the cap 15, is pulled up together, as shown in Figure 7, so that the stopper member 20 can be placed in a protruding state in which the deformed portion 24 is inverted upward.

[0028] Here, the connecting portion 16a that connects the pull ring 18 and the top wall 16 is formed at a position on the top wall 16 that is radially outward and away from the cap axis O. For this reason, even if the pull ring 18 is pulled straight up, the cap 15 will be pulled up at an angle. However, if there is no gap S around the deformable portion 24 and the fitting cylinder 22, the deformable portion 24 will not be able to reverse smoothly, and as a result, the operation of pulling up the stopper member 20 may become difficult.

[0029] However, in the present invention, as described above, a gap S is provided around the deformable portion 24 and the fitting cylinder 22. Therefore, even if the cap 15 is pulled up while tilted, the deformable portion 24 moves within the gap S, allowing for smooth elastic deformation, thus facilitating the pulling up and storing operations of the dispensing cylinder 25.

[0030] Next, as shown in Figure 8, while gripping the knurled part 17b, unscrew the cap 15 in the opening direction, remove the cap 15 from the tip of the dispensing tube 25, and open the refill cap 1.

[0031] When a radial external force is applied to the dispensing cylinder 25, the stopper member 20, which is in a protruding state, allows the deformable portion 24 to be relatively easily elastically deformed (expanded and folded, as shown in Figure 9). That is, the deformable portion 24 on the side to which the external force is applied expands, while the deformable portion 24 on the opposite side contracts, making it possible to bend and deform the dispensing cylinder 25 into an inclined position and to maintain that position. For this reason, with the refill cap 1, when the refill container 30 is tilted during dispensing, the tip of the inclined dispensing cylinder 25 can be easily directed toward the mouth portion 41 of the container to be refilled 40, and it is possible to start with the dispensing cylinder 25 inserted into the mouth portion 41, thus enabling stable refilling work.

[0032] Furthermore, as the refilling container 30 is gradually tilted towards an inverted position after the refilling process begins, the deformable part 24 also deforms gradually accordingly, which helps to prevent the dispensing tube 25 from detaching from the spout 41 of the container being refilled 40. For this reason, the refilling process can be stabilized, especially with large-capacity refilling containers 30, which tend to be unstable due to their heavy weight.

[0033] Furthermore, when the refill cap 1, having the above configuration, is attached to a pouch-shaped refill container 30, even if the volume of liquid inside the refill container 30 decreases during the refilling process and the body of the pouch container breaks, the deformable part 24 can deform in accordance with the deformation of the body. This makes it possible to prevent the dispensing tube 25 from coming off the mouth of the container being refilled, resulting in a more stable refilling process and preventing spillage of the liquid.

[0034] After the refilling process is complete, the cap 15 is screwed onto the dispensing tube 25 to close it, and then the top wall 16 is pressed down and pushed into the cover 11, which returns it to its original stored state as shown in Figure 6 (the weakened part 19a is broken) (storage operation). At this time, the deformable part 24 reverses from the protruding state to the stored state, forming a gap S between the deformable part 24 and the fitting tube 22. As the deformable part 24 moves within the gap S, its elastic deformation is performed smoothly, which in turn makes the storage operation after the refilling process easier.

[0035] The configuration and effects of the present invention have been described above in accordance with the examples, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above examples. For example, in the above embodiment, a weakened portion 19a that connects the top wall flange 13 and the top wall 16 in a breakable manner was described as being constructed by providing thin-walled bridges at multiple locations in the circumferential hole 19. However, it may also be formed as a thin-walled circumferential groove as long as it is breakable.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the method for attaching the refill cap 1 to the refill container was described as the case in which the female thread 12a on the cap member 10 side is screwed onto the male thread 32 on the mouth portion 31 side. However, the configuration may also be such that the locking projection formed on the inner circumferential surface of the side wall 12 of the cap member 10 engages with the locking projection formed on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 31. [Industrial applicability]

[0037] This invention can expand the range of applications in the field of refillable caps to an even broader area. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0038] 1: Refill cap 10: Cap component 11: Cover 12: Side wall 12a: Female thread 12b: Locking part 13: Ceiling and wall flange 14: Outer cylinder 15: Cap 16: Top Wall 16a:Connection part 16b: Surrounding rib 17: Inner cylinder 17a: Female thread 17b: Knurling 18: Pull ring 19: Perihole 19a: Weakened part 20: Plug member 21: Flange section 21a:Locked part 22: Fitting cylinder 23: Non-deformable part 24: Deformed part 25: Pour tube 25a: Male screw 25b: Vertical ribs 30: Refillable container 31: Mouth tube part 32: Male screw 40: Refillable container 41: Mouth tube part 50: Jig 51: First jig 51a: First cylindrical part 52: Second jig 52a: Second cylinder part 100: This container 101: Inlet O: Cap shaft P: Packing S: Gap

Claims

1. A refill cap that is attached to the mouthpiece (31) of a refill container (30) and transfers the liquid contents of the refill container (30) into a refill container (40), The device comprises a stopper member (20) equipped with a dispensing tube (25) for dispensing the liquid contents, and a cap member (10) for housing the stopper member (20). The cap member (10) is integrally formed and includes a cover (11) that is attached to the mouthpiece portion (31), a cap (15) that seals the stopper member (20), a pull ring (18) for pulling up the cap (15), and a weakening portion (19a) that connects the cover (11) and the cap (15) in a breakable manner, and is configured to be able to move axially back and forth between the inside and outside of the cover (11) while the cap (15) is holding the dispensing cylinder (25). The refillable cap is characterized in that the stopper member (20) is integrally formed having a flange portion (21) that is held immovably within the cover (11), a fitting cylinder (22) that fits into the mouth portion (31), and a deformable portion (24) that is elastically deformable between the flange portion (21) and the dispensing cylinder (25).

2. The refillable cap according to claim 1, wherein the stopper member (20) has a deformable portion (24) that reverses to a protruding state when the cap (15) is pulled up from inside the cover (11) via the pull ring (18), and the deformable portion (24) reverses to a retracted state when the cap (15) is pushed into the cover (11).

3. The refillable cap according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a gap (S) is provided in the portion where the fitting cylinder (22) and the deformable portion (24) face each other in the radial direction.

4. The top wall flange (13) of the cover (11) and the top wall (16) of the cap (15) face each other via a circumferentially formed opening (19), and the weakened portion (19a) is formed by a thin-walled bridge that detachably connects the top wall flange (13) and the top wall (16), as described in claim 1 or 2.

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