Refill cap

Abstract

The objective is to create a refillable cap that attaches to the opening of a refillable container and allows for stable refilling of the liquid contents as a single, integrated part. [Solution] The refillable container 40 containing the liquid contents is fitted with a shoulder cover 10 attached to the mouth portion 41 of the refillable container 40 containing the liquid contents, and has a dispensing tube 22 for dispensing the liquid contents, and is configured to be able to transition between a state in which the dispensing tube 22 is housed inside the shoulder cover 10 and a state in which it protrudes outside the shoulder cover 10, and has a cap 30 that seals the tip of the dispensing tube 22, and the cap 30 is connected to the tip of the dispensing tube 22 via a breakable weakened portion 23, and a break prevention mechanism A is provided between the shoulder cover 10 and the cap 30 to prevent the breakage of the weakened portion 23 by restricting the circumferential rotation of the cap 30.

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 a 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 the nozzle cylinder of the refill container approaches the inlet of the main container and the refill container is in an inverted posture. However, in the case of a large-capacity refill container, there is a problem that the hand becomes unstable due to its large weight and the refill 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 refill operation, the body of the standing pouch folds and the pouring spout (pouring spout) becomes unstable, so there is a problem that the content liquid tends to spill.

[0006] Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, the nozzle-equipped cap is composed of two parts: a nozzle member and a cap member, which are formed as separate components. Similarly, in the refillable container described in Patent Document 2, the dispensing spout is composed of two parts: a spout body and a cap, which are formed as separate components. There is a need for the development of a refillable cap made of a single part, which would reduce the number of parts even further.

[0007] 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 as a single integrated part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Among the means for solving the above problems, the first means of the present invention is: A refillable cap integrally formed comprising: a shoulder cover attached to the mouth portion of a refillable container containing liquid contents; a stopper member having a dispensing tube for dispensing the liquid contents and configured to transition between a state in which the dispensing tube is housed inside the shoulder cover and a state in which it protrudes outside the shoulder cover; and a cap for sealing the tip of the dispensing tube, The cap is attached to the tip of the dispensing cylinder via a breakable weakening portion. The invention is characterized in that a breakage prevention mechanism is provided between the shoulder cover and the cap, which prevents the weakened portion from breaking by restricting the circumferential rotation of the cap. In the first means of the present invention, when the container is stored, the weakened portion can not be prevented from breaking during the distribution stage, and when the container is protruding, the weakened portion can be allowed to break, so the cap can be detached from the tip of the dispensing cylinder and opened. Furthermore, since it is impossible to restore the weakened part after it has been broken, it is possible to reliably recognize that the refill cap has already been opened (tamper-evident function). Furthermore, since the refillable cap with tamper-evident features can be constructed from a single part, it becomes possible to reduce manufacturing costs by reducing the number of parts.

[0009] A second means of the present invention is added to the first means described above, wherein the shoulder cover and the dispensing cylinder are connected with a deformable portion that is elastically deformable, and the dispensing cylinder can be bent and deformed into an inclined position by the deformable portion. With the above method, refilling can be started with the bent and deformed tip of the dispensing tube inserted into the mouthpiece, allowing for stable refilling and further suppressing spillage of the liquid contents during the refilling process.

[0010] Furthermore, a third means of the present invention adds to the first or second means described above, the means by which the deformable part can be reversed to transition from a state in which the dispensing cylinder is stored inside the shoulder cover to a state in which the dispensing cylinder protrudes outside the shoulder cover. In the above method, the stopper member can be stored inside the shoulder cover, which in turn reduces the overall height of the refill container with the refill cap attached during the distribution stage.

[0011] Furthermore, a fourth means of the present invention adds to the first, second, or third means described above that the breakage prevention mechanism is configured to have a pair of restrictive ribs provided on one of the shoulder cover and the cap, and a locking rib provided on the other that is sandwiched between the pair of restrictive ribs. The above method allows for the easy construction of a breakage prevention mechanism that prevents breakage in the stored state and allows breakage in the protruding state.

[0012] Furthermore, a fifth means of the present invention adds to the first, second, third, or third means described above, the means of providing markings on the surface of the shoulder cover and cap indicating the direction of operation and the order of operation. The above method allows the user to be guided on the direction and sequence of operations, thereby preventing user errors. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] In the refill cap of the present invention, by performing the refilling operation using a plug member having a deformable portion that can be easily deformed, the content liquid can be stably refilled, and furthermore, the spillage of the content liquid during the refilling operation can be suppressed. In addition, since the refill cap having an anti-tampering function can be integrally formed in one part, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost by reducing the number of parts.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] The refill cap showing an embodiment of the present invention is shown, where (a) is a front view of the refill cap, and (b) is a plan view of (a). [Figure 2] (a) is a side view of the refill cap, and (b) is a plan view of (a). [Figure 3] The refill cap attached to the refill container is shown, where (a) is a cross-sectional view of the refill cap shown from the front side, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the refill cap shown from the side. [Figure 4] The refill cap attached to the refill container is shown, where (a) is a side view of the refill cap showing the state where the cap is picked up, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the front side of the refill cap showing the state where the picked-up cap is pulled up. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view of the front side of the refill cap showing the state where the cap is turned and twisted off. [Figure 6] It is a cross-sectional view showing the refilling operation using the refill cap. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional view of the front side of the refill cap showing the state where the cap is reattached.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a refill cap showing an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a front view of the refill cap, (b) is a plan view of (a), FIG. 2(a) is a side view of the refill cap, FIG. 2(b) is a plan view of the refill cap, FIG. 3 shows the refill cap attached to the refill container, (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the refill cap from the front side, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the refill cap from the side side. In the following, the direction along the cap axis O passing through the center of the refill cap 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 of orbiting around the cap axis O will be referred to as the circumferential direction for explanation.

[0016] First, the configuration of the refill cap 1 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the refill cap 1 includes a shoulder cover 10 attached to the mouth cylinder portion 41 of the refill container 40, a plug member 20 having a pouring cylinder 22 and provided so as to be able to move forward and backward in the vertical direction, and a cap 30 for sealing the pouring cylinder 22, and is integrally formed using a predetermined synthetic resin material.

[0017] The shoulder cover 10 includes a cylindrical side wall 11, a top wall flange 12 extending in a ring shape radially inward at the upper end of the side wall 11, a pair of regulating ribs 13 standing parallel to each other radially outward at respective positions on the upper surface of the top wall flange 12 and having axial symmetry, a fitting cylinder 14 hanging down on the lower surface of the top wall flange 12, and a non-deforming portion 15 having a substantially arcuate cross-section and continuously provided radially inward at the inner edge of the top wall flange 12. The inner peripheral surface of the side wall 11 is formed with an internal thread 11a. The pair of regulating ribs 13 are arranged to face each other with a predetermined gap in the circumferential direction.

[0018] [[ID=IS]] The plug member 20 includes a deformable portion 21 having a thin-walled substantially dome shape and continuously provided elastically deformable at the tip of the non-deforming portion 15, and a pouring cylinder 22 continuously provided above the deformable portion 21 for pouring the content liquid into the refill container. These are integrally formed using a synthetic resin material such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP).

[0019] In this type of stopper member 20, the deformable portion 21 can elastically deform and invert starting from the boundary with the non-deformable portion 15. When the deformable portion 21 inverts downward and the stopper member 20 is stored inside the shoulder cover 10, the stored state is shown in Figures 1 to 3. In contrast, when the deformable portion 21 inverts upward and the stopper member 20 protrudes outside the shoulder cover 10, the protruding state is shown in Figures 4(b) to 7, which will be described later. Thus, in this invention, since the stopper member 20 can be stored inside the shoulder cover 10, the overall height of the refill container 40 with the refill cap 1 attached during the distribution stage can be suppressed. Furthermore, the outer surface of the dispensing cylinder 22 is formed to gradually become thinner towards the tip, and the cap 30 is attached to the tip.

[0020] The cap 30 is provided on the upper surface of the shoulder cover 10 and has a circular top wall portion 31, a side curve portion 32 that gradually widens in diameter with a curved shape in cross-sectional view toward the radially outward direction between the lower end, which is the outer edge of the top wall portion 31, and its upper end, a convex rib 33 provided around the upper surface of the top wall portion 31 in Figures 3(a) and (b), and a locking rib 34 provided on the outer surface of the side curve portion 32 and projecting toward the radially outward direction at an axially symmetric position. The tip of the dispensing cylinder 22 and the lower surface of the top wall portion 31 in Figures 3(a) and (b) are connected via a breakable, thin-walled weakened portion 23. Such a weakened portion 23 functions as an anti-tampering mechanism. The outer circumferential surface of the side curve portion 32 displays an upward arrow a indicating the first operating direction and the number "1" indicating the order of operation, while the inner circumferential surface of the side curve portion 32 displays a circumferential arrow b indicating the next operating direction and the number "2" indicating the order of operation. Furthermore, such markings may be applied by transfer from the molding die, or by printing after molding.

[0021] As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), when the stopper member 20 is in the retracted state, the locking rib 34 is held in the gap between a pair of regulating ribs 13 that are arranged opposite each other in the circumferential direction, preventing the cap 30 from rotating in the circumferential direction. This prevents the cap 30 from accidentally rotating during the distribution stage, which would twist the weakened portion 23 and cause the cap 30 to detach from the tip of the dispensing cylinder 22. In this way, the locking rib 34 and the pair of regulating ribs 13 constitute a breakage prevention mechanism A that prevents the breakage of the weakened portion 23 by restricting the circumferential rotation of the cap 30 during the distribution stage.

[0022] As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the refill cap 1 is attached to the mouth portion 41 of the refill container 40 that has been filled with a predetermined amount of liquid when stored. Specifically, the refill cap 1 is attached by placing the shoulder cover 10 over the mouth portion 41 and screwing the female thread 11a into the male thread 42 formed on the outer surface of the mouth portion 41. At this time, the fitting cylinder 14 of the refill cap 1 fits tightly to the inner surface of the mouth portion 41, making it possible to prevent spillage of the liquid contents. The refill container 40 with such a cap 30 attached is then placed in the distribution stage. The refill container 40 can be made of any material, such as glass, metal, or ceramic, as long as it is a container that can hold liquid contents such as soap or shampoo, not just synthetic resin.

[0023] Next, we will explain how to refill the liquid contents using the refillable cap configured as described above. Figure 4 shows a refill cap attached to a refill container, where (a) is a side view of the refill cap with the cap being pinched, (b) is a front cross-sectional view of the refill cap with the pinched cap pulled up, Figure 5 is a front cross-sectional view of the refill cap with the cap twisted off, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the refilling operation using the refill cap, and Figure 7 is a front cross-sectional view of the refill cap with the cap reattached.

[0024] To refill the contents, as shown in Figure 4(a), the first step is to perform operation "1," which is to pinch the curved side portion 32 with your fingers from both sides and pull the cap 30 upward according to the upward arrow a indicating the direction of operation. Then, as shown in Figure 4(b), the dispensing tube 22 connected to the top wall portion 31 of the cap 30 can be raised, and the locking rib 34 disengages from the gap between the pair of regulating ribs 13, allowing the cap 30 to rotate in the circumferential direction. At this time, the deformable portion 21 connected to the lower end of the dispensing tube 22 reverses starting from the boundary with the non-deformable portion 15, so that the stopper member 20 transitions from the stored state to the protruding state.

[0025] Next, perform operation "2" in the following sequence, which is to rotate the cap 30 according to the circumferential arrow b indicating the direction of operation. This will cause a twisting fracture in the weakened portion 23 connecting the dispensing cylinder 22 and the top wall portion 31 of the cap 30. As a result, as shown in Figure 5, the cap 30 can be detached from the tip of the dispensing cylinder 22 and opened. By displaying the operating direction and sequence of operations on the surfaces of the cover 10 and cap 30 in this way, user errors can be prevented, contributing to smooth refilling operations.

[0026] In this case, when a radial external force is applied to the dispensing cylinder 22 in the protruding stopper member 20, the deformable portion 21 can be elastically deformed (expanded and bent, and so on) relatively easily, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 5. That is, the deformable portion 21 on the side to which the external force is applied expands, while the deformable portion 21 on the opposite side contracts, making it possible to bend and deform the dispensing cylinder 22 into an inclined position and to maintain that position.

[0027] Next, the liquid contents are transferred from the refill container 40 to the container to be refilled 50. The refilling operation may be performed with the dispensing tube 22 straightened out, as shown in Figure 6, or with the dispensing tube 22 bent (see dashed line in Figure 5). If the dispensing tube 22 is bent in advance, when the refill container 40 is tilted, the tip of the bent dispensing tube 22 can be easily directed towards the mouth portion 51 of the container to be refilled 50, and the operation can be started with the dispensing tube 22 inserted into the mouth portion 51, thus enabling stable refilling.

[0028] Furthermore, if the refill container 40 is gradually tilted towards an inverted position after refilling has begun, the deformable part 21 can also be gradually deformed accordingly, thereby preventing the dispensing tube 22 from detaching from the spout 51 of the container being refilled 50. For this reason, the refilling process can be stabilized, especially with large-capacity refill containers 40, which tend to be unstable due to their heavy weight.

[0029] Furthermore, when the refill cap 1, having the above configuration, is attached to a pouch-shaped refill container 40, even if the volume of liquid inside the refill container 40 decreases during the refilling process and the body of the pouch container breaks, the deformable part 21 can deform in accordance with the deformation of the body. This makes it possible to prevent the dispensing tube 22 from coming off the mouth of the container being refilled, resulting in a more stable refilling process and preventing spillage of the liquid.

[0030] After the refilling operation is complete, the cap 30 that was previously detached is reattached to the upper end of the dispensing cylinder 22 in an inverted state. At this time, the convex rib 33 on the cap 30 side fits into the inner circumferential surface of the dispensing cylinder 22, making it possible to seal the refill cap 1.

[0031] 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 locking rib 34 was formed on the cap 30 and a pair of restricting ribs 13 were provided on the shoulder cover 10 as a mechanism A to prevent breakage of the weakened part 23 during the distribution stage. However, it is also possible to form a pair of restricting ribs on the cap 30 and provide the locking rib 34 on the shoulder cover 10. [Industrial applicability]

[0032] This invention can expand the range of applications in the field of refillable caps to an even broader area. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 1: Refill cap 10: Shoulder cover 11: Side wall 11a: Female thread 12: Ceiling and wall flange 13: Regulatory Ribs 14: Fitting cylinder 15: Non-deformable part 20: Plug member 21: Deformed part 22: Pour tube 23: Weakened part 30: Cap 31:Top wall part 32: Lateral bay 33: Convex Rib 34: Locking rib 40: Refillable container 41: Mouth tube part 42: Male screw 50: Refillable container 51: Mouth tube part a: Upward arrow b: Circumferential arrow A: Breakage prevention mechanism O: Cap shaft

Claims

1. A refillable cap integrally formed comprising: a shoulder cover (10) attached to the mouth portion (41) of a refillable container (40) containing the liquid contents; a stopper member (20) having a dispensing tube (22) for dispensing the liquid contents and configured to transition between a state in which the dispensing tube (22) is housed inside the shoulder cover (10) and a state in which it protrudes outside the shoulder cover (10); and a cap (30) that seals the tip of the dispensing tube (22), The cap (30) is connected to the tip of the dispensing cylinder (22) via a breakable weakening portion (23), A refillable cap characterized in that a breakage prevention mechanism (A) is provided between the shoulder cover (10) and the cap (30) to prevent the breakage of the weakened portion (23) by restricting the circumferential rotation of the cap (30).

2. The refillable cap according to claim 1, wherein the shoulder cover (10) and the dispensing cylinder (22) are connected by a deformable portion (21) that is elastically deformable, and the dispensing cylinder (22) can be bent and deformed into an inclined position by the deformable portion (21).

3. The refillable cap according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the deformable portion (21) can be reversed to transition from a state in which the dispensing tube (22) is stored inside the shoulder cover (10) to a state in which the dispensing tube (22) protrudes outside the shoulder cover (10).

4. The breakage prevention mechanism (A) is configured to include a pair of restrictive ribs (13) provided on one of the shoulder cover (10) and the cap (30), and a locking rib (34) provided on the other and clamped by the pair of restrictive ribs (13), as described in claim 1 or 2.

5. The refillable cap according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surface of the shoulder cover (10) and the cap (30) is provided with markings indicating the direction of operation and the order of operation.

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