cap

Abstract

To provide a cap that is easy to attach and detach, and that makes it easy to determine whether or not the product is unopened. [Solution] A cap 10 comprising a cap body 100 and an outer cap 200, wherein the outer cap 200 is configured to slide between a first position and a second position relative to the cap body 100, and when the outer cap is in the first position the cap body 100 fits onto the mouth portion 51, and when the outer cap is in the second position the fit is released, and a tamper-evident band is provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a container equipped with a cap that can be attached to and detached from a container body, a screw-type cap has been the mainstream. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of hinge-type caps and caps with excellent usability that can be pulled out or pushed in while pushing in the side surface of the cap. The applicant of the present application has also provided a technology related to a cap with even better attachment and detachment properties (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] However, even in this technology, it is difficult to determine whether the state is unopened or has been closed after being once opened, so there is still room for improvement.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cap that is excellent in attachment and detachment properties and is easy to determine whether it is unopened or not.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention has adopted the following means to solve the above problems.

[0007] In other words, the cap of the present invention comprises a cap body having a first top wall, a cylindrical body portion hanging down from the first top wall and attached to the outer peripheral surface of the mouth of the container body, and a cylindrical sealing portion configured to be in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the mouth; and an outer cap having a second top wall, an outer cylinder portion hanging down from the second top wall and covering the outer circumference of the body portion, wherein the lower end of the body portion is provided with an engaging portion having an engaging projection that can engage with an engaging portion provided in the mouth, and the outer cap is slidable between a first position and a second position relative to the cap body. The device is configured such that, when the outer cap is in the first position, the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion presses the outer surface of the engaging portion inward, causing the engaging projection to engage with the engaged portion and the cap body to fit into the opening. As the outer cap moves from the first position to the second position, the engaging portion is no longer pressed by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion, thereby releasing the engagement of the engaging projection with the engaged portion. The device is also characterized by being provided with a tamper-evident band that engages with the outer surface of the opening or the body of the cap body.

[0008] According to the present invention, by sliding the outer cap between a first position and a second position, the engaging projection provided on the cap body can be engaged with or disengaged from the engaged portion provided on the mouth of the container body. Furthermore, the presence of a tamper-evident band makes it easy to determine whether or not the container is unopened. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the product is unopened while improving ease of attachment and detachment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the cap body according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view of the cap body and (b) is a front view of the cap body. [Figure 2]This is a schematic diagram of the cap body according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cap body (cross-sectional view AA in Figure 1(a)). [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the outer cap according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view of the outer cap and (b) is a front view of the outer cap. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the outer cap according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outer cap (BB cross-section in Figure 3(a)). [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of a tamper evident cap according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view of the tamper evident cap, (b) is a front view of the tamper evident cap, and (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tamper evident cap (CC cross-sectional view in (a)). [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram of the assembly operation of a cap according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, with each component shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram of the assembly operation of a cap according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, with each component shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the operation of attaching and detaching the cap to the container body according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. (a), (b), and (c) show schematic cross-sectional views of each component, while (d) shows a front view. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the operation of attaching and detaching the cap to the container body according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, with each component shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram of the cap body according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view of the cap body, (b) is a front view of the cap body, and (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cap body (DD cross-sectional view in (a)). [Figure 11] This is a schematic diagram of the outer cap according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, where (a) is a plan view of the outer cap, (b) is a front view of the outer cap, and (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outer cap (the EE cross-sectional view in (a)). [Figure 12]It is an explanatory diagram of the assembling operation of the cap according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and each member is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 13] It is an explanatory diagram of the attaching / detaching operation of the cap according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention to / from the container body, and each member is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 14] It is an explanatory diagram of the attaching / detaching operation of the cap according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention to / from the container body, and each member is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 15] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the cap body according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. (a) is a plan view of the cap body, (b) is a front view of the cap body, and (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cap body (FF cross-sectional view in (a)). [Figure 16] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the outer cap according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. (a) is a plan view of the outer cap, (b) is a front view of the outer cap, and (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outer cap (GG cross-sectional view in (a)). [Figure 17] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the tamper-evident cap according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. (a) is a plan view of the tamper-evident cap, (b) is a front view of the tamper-evident cap, and (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tamper-evident cap (HH cross-sectional view in (a)). [Figure 18] It is an explanatory diagram of the assembling operation of the cap according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, and each member is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 19] It is an explanatory diagram of the attaching / detaching operation of the cap according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention to / from the container body, and each member is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 20] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the cap body according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. (a) is a plan view of the cap body, (b) is a front view of the cap body, and (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cap body (II cross-sectional view in (a)). [Figure 21] It is a schematic configuration diagram of the outer cap according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. (a) is a plan view of the outer cap, (b) is a front view of the outer cap, and (c) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outer cap (JJ cross-sectional view in (a)). [Figure 22]It is an explanatory diagram of the assembly operation of the cap according to Example 4 of the present invention, and each member is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 23] It is an explanatory diagram of the attaching and detaching operation of the cap according to Example 4 of the present invention to the container body, and each member is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 24] It is an explanatory diagram of the attaching and detaching operation of the cap according to Example 4 of the present invention to the container body, and each member is shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 25] It is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the cap body of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments for carrying out this invention will be exemplarily and detailedly described based on examples. However, dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the component parts described in this example are not intended to limit the scope of this invention only to them unless there are specific descriptions. In the following description, "upper" means the vertical upper direction in the state where the cap is facing upward with respect to the container body when the cap is attached to the container body, and "lower" means the vertical lower direction in the state where the cap is facing upward with respect to the container body when the cap is attached to the container body. Also, in each figure, an arrow SN (N is 1 or 2) indicates the relative movement direction between members constituting the cap, and an arrow TN (N is 1 or 2) indicates the relative movement direction between the members constituting the cap and the container body. Note that the containers according to the following examples are applicable to various containers such as PET bottles, glass containers, metal containers, and laminated tubes for containing toothpaste and paste seasonings.

[0012] (Example 1) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 9, the cap according to Example 1 of the present invention will be described.

[0013] <Container> Container 1 consists of a container body 50 and a cap 10. First, the container body 50 will be described (see Figure 8, etc.). Note that in each figure, only a part of the container body 50 is shown. As is generally known, the container body 50 has a mouth portion 51, a shoulder portion 52, and a body portion. The mouth portion 51 is the part of the body portion that is narrower than the shoulder portion 52 and corresponds to the neck portion which has a mouth (opening) at the tip.

[0014] In this embodiment, the inner circumferential surface 51a of the mouth portion 51 is formed by a cylindrical surface. The inner circumferential surface 51a corresponds to the mouth (opening). The outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 51 is provided with a first engaging portion 51b and a second engaging portion 51c. The former is used to engage the cap body, and the latter is used to engage the tamper-evident band. In this embodiment, the engaging portion is formed by annular projections, but the engaging portion in the present invention is not limited to annular projections and can also be formed by projections provided intermittently in the circumferential direction.

[0015] <Cap> A cap 10, which is detachably attached to the mouth 51 of the container body 50, will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the cap 10 is attached to the mouth 51 by a pushing motion and removed from the mouth 51 by a pulling motion. This cap 10 consists of a cap body 100, an outer cap 200, and a tamper-evident cap 300.

[0016] <Cap body> The cap body 100 will be described in particular with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The cap body 100 comprises a first top wall 110 and a cylindrical body portion 120 that hangs down from the first top wall 110 and is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 51 of the container body 50. The cap body 100 also comprises a cylindrical sealing portion 130 configured to protrude downward from the first top wall 110. In this embodiment, the lower end of the cylindrical portion of the cylindrical sealing portion 130 is closed.

[0017] Furthermore, an annular projection 131 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical sealing portion 130. Hereinafter, the stepped surface between the large-diameter portion 132 above the annular projection 131 and the inner circumferential surface of the annular projection 131 will be referred to as the first stepped surface 134, and the stepped surface between the large-diameter portion 133 below the annular projection 131 and the inner circumferential surface of the annular projection 131 will be referred to as the second stepped surface 135. The sealing function is achieved when the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical sealing portion 130, configured as described above, and the inner circumferential surface 51a of the opening 51 are in close contact.

[0018] The cap body 100 is provided with an engaging projection 121a that can engage with a first engaging portion 51b provided on the mouth portion 51 of the container body 50. In this embodiment, a plurality of engaging portions (enlarged diameter portions) 121 are provided at the lower end of the body portion 120, spaced apart in the circumferential direction. These engaging portions 121 are configured to widen in diameter towards the lower end. The above-mentioned engaging projection 121a is provided on the inner circumferential surface of each of these plurality of engaging portions 121. The cap body 100 is made of a resin material (for example, polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP)) that allows the engaging portions 121 to have appropriate flexibility.

[0019] <Outer cap> The outer cap 200 will be described in particular with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The outer cap 200 comprises a second top wall 210, an outer cylindrical portion 220 that hangs down from the second top wall 210 and covers the outer circumference of the body portion 120 of the cap body 100, and an inner cylindrical portion 230 that hangs down from the second top wall 210 and is inserted into the cylindrical seal portion 130. A small diameter portion 231 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 230. A large diameter portion 232 is provided above the small diameter portion 231 on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 230. The stepped surface between the small diameter portion 231 and the large diameter portion 232 is referred to as the third stepped surface 233. Furthermore, an annular projection 234 is provided below the small diameter portion 231 on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 230. In this embodiment, the projection 234 located below the small-diameter portion 231 is shown as an annular projection, but it is not necessary for it to be an annular projection; a configuration with multiple projections spaced apart can also be adopted. Furthermore, an annular engaging projection 235 is provided near the upper end of the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 230.

[0020] The outer cap 200, configured as described above, is configured to slide between a first position in which the cap body 100 is fitted into the opening 51 and a second position in which the cap body 100 is not fitted into the opening 51.

[0021] <Dimensional relationships between parts of the container body, cap body, and outer cap> Referring to Figure 7, the dimensional relationships of each part will be explained. When no external force is acting, the outer diameters of the large diameter portion 232 and the protruding portion 234 on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 230 of the outer cap 200 are larger than the inner diameter of the annular projection 131 of the cylindrical seal portion 130, and the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 231 is smaller than the inner diameter of the annular projection 131. Also, when no external force is acting, the outer diameter of the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion 130 is smaller than the inner diameter of the inner circumferential surface 51a of the mouth portion 51, however, this is not the case if the cylindrical seal portion 130 can be inserted into the mouth portion 51.

[0022] <Tamper-evident cap> In particular, the tamper-evident cap 300 will be described with reference to Figure 5. The tamper-evident cap 300 integrally comprises a cap body 310 and a tamper-evident band 320. The cap body 310 comprises a top surface 311, a cylindrical portion 312 hanging down from the top surface 311, and a fixing structure 313 integrally provided on the lower surface of the top surface 311 for fixing the outer cap 200. The fixing structure 313 consists of a cylindrical portion 313a and a plurality of retaining flaps 313b provided at circumferential intervals at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 313a.

[0023] The tamper-evident band 320 is connected to the cap body 310 by a first thin-walled portion 330, which is detached when the cap is opened. Furthermore, the tamper-evident band 320 has a through-hole 322 located towards the tip of its end portion 321, and a second thin-walled portion 323 and a third thin-walled portion 324, which are detached when the cap is opened, are provided on either side of this through-hole 322. Additionally, an annular engaging projection 325 is provided at the lower end of the tamper-evident band 320.

[0024] In the tamper-evident cap 300 configured as described above, the second thin-walled portion 323 and the third thin-walled portion 324 are separated from the tip portion 321 by inserting a finger into the through hole 322 and pulling up the tip portion 321. Then, by further pulling the tip portion 321 in the circumferential direction, the first thin-walled portion 330 can also be separated. This allows the tamper-evident band 320 to be detached from the cap body portion 310. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the tamper-evident band 320 is detached from the cap body portion 310 is shown, but a configuration in which the tamper-evident band 320 is not detached from the cap body portion 310 can also be adopted. In this case, if the first thin-walled portion 330 is not provided around the entire circumference, and a configuration in which a part remains connected can be adopted, the tamper-evident band 320 will not detach from the cap body portion 310 unless an unexpected force is applied.

[0025] <Assembling the cap> The assembly operation of the cap 10 will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. First, the flap 313b for preventing the tamper evident cap 300 from coming off is bent, and the outer cap 200 is inserted into the tamper evident cap 300 (see arrow S1 in Figure 6(a)). As a result, the flap 313b engages with the engaging projection 235, fixing the tamper evident cap 300 and the outer cap 200 together (see Figure 6(b)). Next, the cap body 100 is inserted into the tamper evident cap 300 (see arrow S1 in Figure 7(a)). As a result, the annular projection 131 moves over the protruding portion 234 to a position opposite the small diameter portion 231, and the cap body 100 becomes fixed to the outer cap 200 (see Figure 7(b)).

[0026] <Sealing> Referring to Figure 8, the process of attaching the cap 10 to the container body 50 (the capping process) will be explained. Figures 8(a) and 8(b) show the state in which the outer cap 200 is in the second position relative to the cap body 100, and Figures 8(c) and 8(d) show the state in which the outer cap 200 is in the first position relative to the cap body 100.

[0027] With the central axis of the container body 50 and the central axis of the cap 10 aligned, the cap 10 is pushed toward the container body 50 (see arrow T1 in Figure 8(a)), and moves until the first top wall 110 of the cap body 100 abuts against the tip of the mouth 51 (see Figure 8(b)).

[0028] Furthermore, when the cap 10 is pressed in, the cap body 100 is stationary relative to the container body 50. With the tamper-evident cap 300 and the outer cap 200 remaining stationary, the tamper-evident cap 300 and the outer cap 200 move together, and the cap 10 is attached to the container body 50 (see Figures 8(c) and 8(d)). In this state, the outer cap 200 is positioned in a first position relative to the cap body 100. At this time, the outer surface of the engaging portion 121 is pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 220 of the outer cap 200, causing the engaging projection 121a to engage with the first engaged portion 51b, and the cap body 100 is fitted into the mouth portion 51. In addition, the annular projection 131 is pressed radially outward by the large diameter portion 232 of the outer surface of the inner cylinder portion 230, causing the cylindrical sealing portion 130 to expand in diameter, and its outer surface and the inner surface 51a of the mouth portion 51 to be in close contact around the entire circumference. As a result, the inside of the container body 50 is sealed. Furthermore, the engaging projection 325 at the lower end of the tamper-evident band 320 engages with the second engaged portion 51c (outer circumferential surface of the opening) of the container body 50. As a result, the cap 10 cannot be removed from the container body 50.

[0029] <The process of attaching and detaching the cap from the container body> The operation of attaching and detaching the cap 10 to the container body 50 will be explained with reference to Figures 9 and 10. When opening the cap 10 in an unopened container 1, the tamper-evident band 320 is detached from the cap body portion 310 of the tamper-evident cap 300 (see Figure 9(a)). This makes it possible to pull the cap 10 off the container body 50. When the cap 10 is pulled off the container body 50 in this state, the tamper-evident cap 300 and the outer cap 200 move together (see arrows S1 and T2 in Figure 9(b)). However, as long as the outer surface of the engaging portion 121 is pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 220, the engaging projection 121a remains engaged with the first engaged portion 51b, and the cap body 100 remains stationary relative to the container body 50 (see Figure 9(b)).

[0030] Furthermore, when the cap 10 is pulled out, the outer surface of the engaging portion 121 is no longer pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 220, and the engaging portion 121 returns to its original shape by its own elastic restoring force (see Figure 9(c)). Figure 9(c) shows the outer cap 200 in the second position. In this way, as the outer cap 200 moves from the first position to the second position, the engaging portion 121 is no longer pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 220, and the engagement of the engaging projection 121a with the first engaged portion 51b is released. Subsequently, when the cap 10 is pulled out again, the protrusion 234 of the inner cylinder portion 230 engages with the second stepped surface 135 of the cylindrical seal portion 130, and the cap body 100, outer cap 200, and tamper evident cap 300 move together as a single unit (see arrow T2 in Figure 9(d)).

[0031] As described above, when opening the bottle, the annular projection 131 moves from a position where it slides against the large-diameter portion 232 to a position where it faces the small-diameter portion 231 as the outer cap 200 slides from the first position to the second position. After the annular projection 131 comes into contact with the projection 234 located below the small-diameter portion 231 on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 230, the outer cap 200 and the cap body 100 move together as a single unit.

[0032] The cap can be opened by the above operation. When the outer cap 200 is in the second position, the annular projection 131 faces the small diameter portion 231, and the annular projection 131 is not pressed radially outward, and a gap is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion 130 and the inner circumferential surface 51a of the mouth portion 51.

[0033] When reattaching the cap 10, which has been removed from the container body 50, to the container body 50 to close it, simply push the cap 10 into the container body 50. This is the same as the capping operation, except that the tamper-evident band 320 on the tamper-evident cap 300 has already been detached. Therefore, the operation of the cap body 100 and the outer cap 200 is almost the same as when capping. Note that the outer cap 200 slides from the second position to the first position. During the process, the annular protrusion 131 abuts against the stepped surface (third stepped surface 233) between the small diameter portion 231 and the large diameter portion 232. As a result, the outer cap 200 and the cap body 100 move together until the cap body 100 is restricted from moving by the opening portion 51.

[0034] If you wish to open the bottle further, the procedure is the same as described above, except that the tamper-evident band 320 on the tamper-evident cap 300 has already been detached. Therefore, the explanation for this procedure will be omitted.

[0035] <Advantages of the cap according to this embodiment> According to the cap 10 of this embodiment, the outer cap 200, which moves integrally with the tamper-evident cap 300, can be slid between a first position and a second position to engage or disengage the engaging projection 121a provided on the cap body 100 with the first engaged portion 51b provided on the mouth 51 of the container body 50. This improves the ease of attaching and detaching the cap 10 compared to a screw-type cap. In addition, the presence of the tamper-evident band 320 makes it easy to determine whether the container is unopened or not.

[0036] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when plugging and closing the cap, the cap 10 moves with almost no resistance from the container body 50 until the first top wall 110 of the cap body 100 abuts against the tip of the mouth 51. Then, when the cap 10 is pushed in further, the outer cap 200 moves to the first position, and the annular projection 131 is pressed radially outward by the large diameter portion 232 of the inner cylinder portion 230, causing the cylindrical seal portion 130 to expand in diameter, and its outer surface and the inner surface 51a of the mouth 51 to be in close contact around the entire circumference. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the outer cap 200 from moving relative to the cap body 100 before the cylindrical seal portion 130 is inserted into the mouth 51. This prevents the occurrence of problems such as the outer surface of the engaging portion 121 being pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 220 before the cylindrical seal portion 130 is inserted into the mouth 51, making it impossible to close the cap. Furthermore, the cylindrical sealing portion 130 expands in diameter, and its outer surface and the inner surface 51a of the opening 51 come into close contact around the entire circumference, thereby improving the sealing performance.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the outer surface of the engagement portion 121, which has a pre-expanded diameter, is flexed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 220 of the outer cap 200 sliding against the outer surface of the engagement portion 121. Therefore, the force required to slide the outer cap 200 when closing the cap 10 can be set to be weaker. Also, by sliding the outer cap 200 upward, the engagement portion 121 returns to its original state due to its elastic restoring force, so the force required to slide the outer cap 200 when opening the cap 10 can be set to be weaker.

[0038] (Example 2) The cap according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 14. Note that components identical to those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0039] <Container> Container 1X consists of a container body 50X and a cap 10X. First, the container body 50X will be described (see Figure 13, etc.). As described in Example 1, the container body 50X has a mouth portion 51X, a shoulder portion, and a body portion. In this embodiment as well, the inner circumferential surface 51a of the mouth portion 51X is made of a cylindrical surface. The outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 51X is provided with a first engaging portion 51b. In this embodiment as well, the first engaging portion 51b is made of an annular projection, but the engaging portion in the present invention is not limited to an annular projection and can also be made of projections provided intermittently in the circumferential direction.

[0040] <Cap> A cap 10X, which is detachably attached to the mouth 51X of the container body 50X, will be described in detail. In this embodiment as well, the cap 10X is attached to the mouth 51X by a pushing motion and removed from the mouth 51X by a pulling motion. This cap 10X consists of a cap body 100X and an outer cap 200X.

[0041] <Cap body> In particular, the cap body 100X will be described with reference to Figure 10. The cap body 100 comprises a first top wall 110 and a cylindrical body portion 120 that hangs down from the first top wall 110 and is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 51X of the container body 50X. The cap body 100X also comprises a cylindrical sealing portion 130X configured to protrude downward from the first top wall 110. In this embodiment, the lower end of the cylindrical portion of the cylindrical sealing portion 130X is closed.

[0042] In this embodiment as well, an annular projection 131 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion 130X. Hereinafter, the stepped surface between the large-diameter portion 132 above the annular projection 131 and the inner circumferential surface of the annular projection 131 will be referred to as the first stepped surface 134, and the stepped surface between the large-diameter portion 133 below the annular projection 131 and the inner circumferential surface of the annular projection 131 will be referred to as the second stepped surface 135. In this embodiment, an annular projection 136 is provided above the annular projection 131 on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion 130X. The sealing function is achieved when the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion 130X, configured as described above, and the inner circumferential surface 51a of the opening 51 are in close contact.

[0043] Furthermore, the cap body 100X is provided with an engaging projection 121a that can engage with the first engaging portion 51b provided on the mouth portion 51 of the container body 50. In this embodiment as well, the lower end of the body portion 120 is provided with a plurality of engaging portions (enlarged diameter portions) 121 that are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the above-mentioned engaging projection 121a is provided on the inner circumferential surface of each of these plurality of engaging portions 121.

[0044] <Outer cap> In particular, the outer cap 200X will be described with reference to Figure 11. The outer cap 200X comprises a second top wall 210X, an outer cylinder portion 220X that hangs down from the second top wall 210X and covers the outer circumference of the body portion 120 of the cap body 100X, and an inner cylinder portion 230X that hangs down from the second top wall 210X and is inserted into the cylinder of the cylindrical seal portion 130X. Below the outer cylinder portion 220X, a tamper-evident band 240 is provided integrally with the outer cylinder portion 220X. The tamper-evident band 240 is connected to the outer cylinder portion 220X by a thin-walled portion 250 that is separated when the cap is opened. In addition, a slit 242 is formed on the tip side of the tip portion 241 of the tamper-evident band 240. Furthermore, a number of flaps 243 are provided on the lower side of the inner circumferential surface of the tamper-evident band 240.

[0045] Furthermore, a small-diameter portion 231 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 230X. A large-diameter portion 232 is provided above the small-diameter portion 231 on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 230X. The stepped surface between the small-diameter portion 231 and the large-diameter portion 232 is referred to as the third stepped surface 233. In addition, a plurality of flaps 236 are provided below the small-diameter portion 231 on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 230X. Note that instead of these plurality of flaps 236, a configuration with annular protrusions as shown in Embodiment 1 can also be adopted.

[0046] The outer cap 200X, configured as described above, is attached to the cap body 100X. The cap body 100X is configured to slide between a first position in which it is fitted onto the opening 51X and a second position in which it is not fitted onto the opening 51X. Furthermore, the thin-walled portion 250 can be separated by inserting a finger into the slit 242 and pulling up the tip 241. This allows the tamper-evident band 240 to be detached from the outer cylinder portion 220X. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the tamper-evident band 240 is detached from the outer cylinder portion 220X is shown, but a configuration in which the tamper-evident band 240 is not detached from the outer cylinder portion 220X can also be adopted. In this case, if a configuration is adopted in which the thin-walled portion 250 is not provided around the entire circumference, but a part remains connected, the tamper-evident band 240 will not detach from the outer cylinder portion 220X unless an unexpected force is applied.

[0047] <Dimensional relationships between parts of the container body, cap body, and outer cap> When no external force is acting, on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 230X of the outer cap 200X, the outer diameters of the large diameter portion 232 and the flap 236 are larger than the inner diameter of the annular projection 131 of the cylindrical seal portion 130X, while the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 231 is smaller than the inner diameter of the annular projection 131. Also, when no external force is acting, the outer diameter of the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion 130X is smaller than the inner diameter of the inner circumferential surface 51a of the mouth portion 51X.

[0048] <Assembling the cap> Referring to Figure 12, the assembly operation of the cap 10 will be described. First, the flap 236 of the outer cap 200X is folded (see Figure 12(a)), and the cap body 100X is inserted into the outer cap 200X (see arrow S1 in Figure 12(b)). This causes the flap 236 to engage with the protrusion 136, preventing the cap body 100X from coming out of the outer cap 200X.

[0049] <Sealing> Referring to Figure 13, the process of attaching the cap 10X to the container body 50X (the capping process) will be explained. Figure 13(a) shows the state in which the outer cap 200X is in the second position relative to the cap body 100X, and Figure 13(b) shows the state in which the outer cap 200X is in the first position relative to the cap body 100X.

[0050] With the central axis of the container body 50X and the central axis of the cap 10X aligned, the cap 10X is pushed toward the container body 50X (see arrow T1 in Figure 13(a)). As described above, the outer diameter of the outer surface of the cylindrical seal portion 130X is smaller than the inner diameter of the inner surface 51a of the mouth portion 51, so the cap 10X moves with almost no resistance from the container body 50X until the first top wall 110 of the cap body 100X abuts against the tip of the mouth portion 51X (see Figure 13(a)).

[0051] Furthermore, when the cap 10X is pushed in, the cap body 100X remains stationary relative to the container body 50X, while the outer cap 200X moves, and the cap 10X is attached to the container body 50X (see Figure 13(b)). In this state, the outer cap 200X is in a first position relative to the cap body 100X. At this time, the outer circumferential surface of the engaging portion 121 is pressed inward by the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion 220X of the outer cap 200X, causing the engaging projection 121a to engage with the first engaged portion 51b, and the cap body 100X is fitted into the mouth portion 51X. In addition, the annular projection 131 is pressed radially outward by the large diameter portion 232 of the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 230X, causing the cylindrical sealing portion 130X to expand in diameter, and its outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface 51a of the mouth portion 51X to be in close contact around the entire circumference. As a result, the inside of the container body 50X is sealed. Furthermore, the flap 243 provided on the lower part of the inner circumference of the tamper-evident band 240 engages with the lower end of the body portion 120 of the cap body 100X (the lower tip of the engaging portion 121). As a result, the cap 10X can be pulled out from the container body 50X. It becomes impossible to do so.

[0052] <The process of attaching and detaching the cap from the container body> Referring to Figure 14, the operation of attaching and detaching the cap 10X from the container body 50X will be explained. When opening the cap 10X in an unopened container 1X, the tamper-evident band 240 is detached from the outer cylinder portion 220X of the outer cap 200X (see Figure 14(a)). This makes it possible to pull the cap 10X away from the container body 50X. When the cap 10X is pulled away from the container body 50X in this state, the outer cap 200X moves (see arrow S1 in Figure 14(b)). However, while the outer circumferential surface of the engaging portion 121 is pressed inward by the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion 220X, the engaging projection 121a remains engaged with the first engaged portion 51b, and the cap body 100X remains stationary relative to the container body 50X (not shown). Furthermore, when the cap 10X is pulled out, the outer surface of the engaging portion 121 is no longer pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 220X, and the engaging portion 121 returns to its original shape by its own elastic restoring force (see Figure 14(b)). In this way, as the outer cap 200X moves from the first position to the second position, the engaging portion 121 is no longer pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 220X, and the engagement of the engaging projection 121a with the first engaged portion 51b is released. Subsequently, when the cap 10X is pulled out again, the flap 236 of the inner cylinder portion 230X engages with the second stepped surface 135 of the cylindrical seal portion 130X, and the cap body 100X and the outer cap 200X move together as a single unit (see arrow T2 in Figure 14(b)).

[0053] As described above, when opening the cap, the annular projection 131 moves from a position where it slides against the large-diameter portion 232 to a position where it faces the small-diameter portion 231 as the outer cap 200X slides from the first position to the second position. After the annular projection 131 comes into contact with the flap 236, which is a projection provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 230X below the small-diameter portion 231, the outer cap 200X and the cap body 100X move together as a single unit.

[0054] The cap can be opened by the above operation. When the outer cap 200X is in the second position, the annular projection 131 faces the small diameter portion 231, and the annular projection 131 is not pressed radially outward, and a gap is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion 130X and the inner circumferential surface 51a of the mouth portion 51X.

[0055] When reattaching the cap 10X, which has been removed from the container body 50X, to the container body 50X for sealing, the cap 10X should be pushed into the container body 50X. This is the same as the capping operation, except that the tamper-evident band 240 on the outer cap 200X has already been detached. Therefore, the operation of the cap body 100X and the outer cap 200X is almost the same as during capping. In the process of the outer cap 200X sliding from the second position to the first position, the annular projection 131 abuts against the stepped surface (third stepped surface 233) between the small diameter portion 231 and the large diameter portion 232. As a result, the outer cap 200X and the cap body 100X move together as a unit until the cap body 100X is restricted from moving by the opening portion 51X.

[0056] Further instructions for opening the bottle are the same as above, except that the tamper-evident band 240 on the outer cap 200X has already been detached. Therefore, the explanation for opening the bottle is omitted.

[0057] In this embodiment, the same effects as in Embodiment 1 can be obtained with the cap 10X configured as described above. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of parts can be reduced compared to Embodiment 1.

[0058] In the above embodiments 1 and 2, the outer cap and the cap body are configured to be movable as a single unit. To achieve this, a configuration is adopted in which a restricting structure is provided between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion and the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion to restrict the sliding range of the outer cap relative to the cap body. As can be understood from the above explanation, this restricting structure mainly consists of an annular protrusion provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion and a small diameter portion on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion.

[0059] In contrast, in the following embodiments 3 and 4, in order to configure the outer cap and the cap body to move integrally, a restricting structure is provided between the outer circumferential surface of the body and the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder to restrict the sliding range of the outer cap relative to the cap body. Embodiments 3 and 4 will be described below.

[0060] (Example 3) The cap according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 19.

[0061] <Container> Container 1Y consists of a container body 50Y and a cap 10Y. First, the container body 50 will be described (see Figure 18, etc.). Note that in each figure, only a part of the container body 50Y is shown. The container body 50Y has a mouth portion 51Y, a shoulder portion, and a body portion. The mouth portion 51Y is the part of the body that is narrower than the shoulder portion and corresponds to the neck portion which has a mouth (opening) at the tip.

[0062] In this embodiment, the inner circumferential surface 51a at the tip of the mouth portion 51 is formed by a cylindrical surface. The inner circumferential surface 51a corresponds to the mouth (opening). The outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 51Y is provided with a first engaging portion 51b and a second engaging portion 51c. The former is used to engage the cap body, and the latter is used to engage the tamper-evident band. In this embodiment, the engaging portion is formed by an annular projection, but the engaging portion in the present invention is not limited to annular projections and can also be formed by projections provided intermittently in the circumferential direction.

[0063] <Cap> A cap 10Y, which is detachably attached to the opening 51Y of the container body 50Y, will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the cap 10Y is attached to the opening 51Y by a pushing motion and removed from the opening 51Y by a pulling motion. This cap 10Y consists of a cap body 400, an outer cap 500, and a tamper-evident cap 600.

[0064] <Cap body> In particular, the cap body 400 will be described with reference to Figure 15. The cap body 400 comprises a first top wall 410 and a cylindrical body portion 420 that hangs down from the first top wall 410 and is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 51Y of the container body 50Y. The cap body 400 also comprises a cylindrical sealing portion 430 configured to protrude downward from the first top wall 410 and a cylindrical projection 411 provided radially outward from the cylindrical sealing portion 430. In this embodiment, the lower end of the cylindrical portion of the cylindrical sealing portion 430 is closed.

[0065] Furthermore, the cap body 400 is provided with an engaging projection 421a that can engage with the first engaged portion 51b provided on the mouth portion 51Y of the container body 50Y. In this embodiment, a plurality of engaging portions (enlarged diameter portions) 421 are provided at the lower end of the body portion 420, spaced apart in the circumferential direction. These engaging portions 421 are configured to widen in diameter towards the lower end. The above-mentioned engaging projections 421a are provided on the inner circumferential surface of each of these plurality of engaging portions 421. In addition, in this embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the body portion 420 is provided with a large diameter portion 425, a small diameter portion 426 above the large diameter portion 425, and a stepped surface 427 between them. This is formed, making the area around the engaging portion 421 more flexible. An annular projection 422 is also provided on the outer circumferential surface of the body portion 420. The cap body 400 is made of a resin material (for example, polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP)) that allows the engaging portion 421 to have appropriate flexibility.

[0066] <Outer cap> The outer cap 500 will be described in particular with reference to Figure 16. The outer cap 500 comprises a second top wall 510 and an outer cylindrical portion 520 that hangs down from the second top wall 510 and covers the outer circumference of the body portion 420 of the cap body 400. An annular projection 521 is provided on the outer circumferential surface side of the outer cylindrical portion 520. In addition, a small diameter portion 522, a large diameter portion 523 above the small diameter portion 522, and a stepped surface 524 between them are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 520.

[0067] The outer cap 500, configured as described above, is slidable between a first position in which the cap body 400 is fitted into the opening 51Y and a second position in which the cap body 100 is not fitted into the opening 51Y.

[0068] <Dimensional relationships between parts of the container body, cap body, and outer cap> The outer diameter of the portion of the outer circumferential surface of the body portion 420 of the cap body 400 between the engaging portion 421 and the annular projection 422 is set to be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 522 on the inner circumferential surface of the outer cap 500. Furthermore, the maximum outer diameters of the engaging portion 421 and the annular projection 422 are set to be larger than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 522, and the maximum outer diameter of the annular projection 422 is set to be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the large diameter portion 523 on the inner circumferential surface of the outer cap 500. In addition, when no external force is acting, the outer diameter of the cylindrical seal portion 430 is set to be greater than or equal to the inner diameter of the inner circumferential surface 51a of the mouth portion 51.

[0069] <Tamper-evident cap> In particular, the tamper-evident cap 600 will be described with reference to Figure 17. The tamper-evident cap 600 integrally comprises a cap body 610 and a tamper-evident band 620. The cap body 610 comprises a top surface 611 and a cylindrical portion 612 hanging down from the top surface 611. An annular recess 612a is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 612.

[0070] The tamper-evident band 620 is connected to the cap body 610 by a thin-walled portion 630 that is detached when the cap is opened, so as to be an integral part of the cap. In addition, a slit 623 is formed on the tip side of the tamper-evident band 620, beyond its tip portion 622. Furthermore, multiple flaps 621 are provided on the lower part of the inner circumference of the tamper-evident band 620.

[0071] In the tamper-evident cap 600 configured as described above, the thin-walled portion 630 can be separated by inserting a finger into the slit 623 and pulling up the tip portion 622. This allows the tamper-evident band 620 to be detached from the cap body portion 610. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the tamper-evident band 620 is detached from the cap body portion 610 is shown, but a configuration in which the tamper-evident band 620 is not detached from the cap body portion 610 can also be adopted. In this case, if a configuration is adopted in which the thin-walled portion 630 is not provided around the entire circumference, but a part remains connected, the tamper-evident band 620 will not detach from the cap body portion 610 unless an unexpected force is applied.

[0072] <Assembling the cap> The assembly process of cap 10Y will be explained with reference to Figures 18(a) and (b). First, the cap body 400 is inserted into the outer cap 500 (see arrow S1 in Figure 18(a)). In this state, a stopper structure is formed by the annular projection 422 and the stepped surface 524, which prevents the cap body 400 from coming out of the outer cap 500. Next, the cap body 400 and the outer cap 500 are inserted integrally into the tamper evident cap 600 (see arrow S1 in Figure 18(b)). As a result, the annular projection 521 fits into the annular recess 612a, and the outer cap 500 is fixed to the tamper evident cap 600.

[0073] <Sealing> The process of attaching the cap 10Y to the container body 50Y (the capping process) will be explained with reference to Figures 18(c),(d),(e), and(f). Figures 18(c) and (d) show the state in which the outer cap 500 is in the second position relative to the cap body 400, and Figures 18(e) and (f) show the state in which the outer cap 500 is in the first position relative to the cap body 400.

[0074] With the central axis of the container body 50Y and the central axis of the cap 10Y aligned, the cap 10Y is pushed toward the container body 50Y (see arrow T1 in Figure 18(c)). As a result, the cylindrical projection 411 of the cap body 400 moves to a position where it abuts against the tip of the mouth 51Y, the cylindrical sealing portion 430 is inserted into the mouth 51Y, and the outer surface of the cylindrical sealing portion 430 comes into close contact with the inner surface 51a of the mouth 51 (see Figure 18(d)).

[0075] As the cap 10Y is pushed in further, the cap body 400 remains stationary relative to the container body 50Y, while the tamper-evident cap 600 and the outer cap 500 move together (see arrows S2 and T1 in Figure 18(e)). During this process, the outer surface of the engaging portion 421 is pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 520 of the outer cap 500, causing the engaging projection 421a to engage with the first engaged portion 51b, and the cap body 400 is fitted onto the mouth portion 51Y. Subsequently, as the cap 10Y is pushed in further, the tamper-evident cap 600 and the outer cap 500 move together, and the flap 621 of the tamper-evident band 620 engages with the second engaged portion 51c (outer surface of the mouth portion) of the container body 50Y. As a result, the cap 10Y cannot be removed from the container body 50Y, and the cap 10Y becomes attached to the container body 50Y (see Figure 18(f)).

[0076] <The process of attaching and detaching the cap from the container body> Referring to Figure 19, the operation of attaching and detaching the cap 10Y to the container body 50Y will be explained. When opening the cap 10Y on an unopened container 1Y, the tamper-evident band 620 is detached from the cap body portion 610 of the tamper-evident cap 600 (see Figure 19(a)). This makes it possible to pull the cap 10Y off the container body 50Y. When the cap 10Y is pulled off the container body 50Y in this state, the tamper-evident cap 600 and the outer cap 500 move together (see arrows S1 and T2 in Figure 19(b)). However, while the outer surface of the engaging portion 421 is pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 520, the engaging projection 421a remains engaged with the first engaged portion 51b, so the cap body 400 remains stationary relative to the container body 50Y (not shown).

[0077] Furthermore, when the cap 10 is pulled out, the outer surface of the engaging portion 421 is no longer pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 520, and the engaging portion 421 returns to its original shape by its own elastic restoring force (see Figure 19(b)). Figure 19(b) shows the outer cap 500 in the second position. In this way, as the outer cap 500 moves from the first position to the second position, the engaging portion 421 is no longer pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 520, and the engagement of the engaging projection 421a with the first engaged portion 51b is released. Subsequently, when the cap 10Y is pulled out further, the stepped surface 524 of the outer cylinder portion 520 comes into contact with the annular projection 422 of the body portion 420. Upon engagement, the cap body 400, the outer cap 500, and the tamper-evident cap 600 move together as a single unit (see arrow T2 in Figure 19(c)). The cap can then be opened through the above operation.

[0078] To reattach the cap 10Y, which has been removed from the container body 50Y, to the container body 50Y and close it, simply push the cap 10Y onto the container body 50Y. This is the same as the capping operation, except that the tamper-evident band 620 on the tamper-evident cap 600 has already been detached, so the explanation is omitted. Furthermore, to open the container, this is the same as the opening operation described above, except that the tamper-evident band 620 on the tamper-evident cap 600 has already been detached, so the explanation is omitted.

[0079] <Advantages of the cap according to this embodiment> In this embodiment, the cap 10Y, by sliding the outer cap 500, which moves integrally with the tamper-evident cap 600, between a first position and a second position, the engaging projection 421a provided on the cap body 400 can be engaged with or disengaged from the first engaging portion 51b provided on the mouth portion 51Y of the container body 50Y. This improves the ease of attaching and detaching the cap 10Y compared to a screw-type cap. Furthermore, the presence of the tamper-evident band 620 makes it easy to determine whether the container is unopened or not.

[0080] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the outer surface of the engagement portion 421, which has a pre-expanded diameter, is flexed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 520 of the outer cap 500 sliding against the outer surface of the engagement portion 421. Therefore, the force required to slide the outer cap 500 when closing the cap 10Y can be set to be weaker. Also, by sliding the outer cap 500 upward, the engagement portion 421 returns to its original state due to its elastic restoring force, so the force required to slide the outer cap 500 when opening the cap 10Y can be set to be weaker.

[0081] (Example 4) The cap according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 20 to 24. Note that components identical to those in Embodiment 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0082] <Container> Container 1Z consists of a container body 50Z and a cap 10Z. First, the container body 50Z will be described (see Figure 22, etc.). As described in Example 3, the container body 50Z includes a mouth portion 51Z, a shoulder portion, and a body portion. In this embodiment as well, the inner circumferential surface 51a of the tip of the mouth portion 51 is made of a cylindrical surface. The outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 51Z is provided with a first engaging portion 51b. In this embodiment as well, the first engaging portion 51b is made of an annular projection, but the engaging portion in the present invention is not limited to an annular projection and can also be made of projections provided intermittently in the circumferential direction.

[0083] <Cap> A cap 10Z, which is detachably attached to the opening 51Z of the container body 50Z, will be described in detail. In this embodiment as well, the cap 10Z is attached to the opening 51Z by a pushing motion and removed from the opening 51Z by a pulling motion. This cap 10Z consists of a cap body 400Z and an outer cap 500Z.

[0084] <Cap body> In particular, the cap body 400Z will be described with reference to Figure 20. The 0Z comprises a first top wall 410 and a cylindrical body portion 420Z that hangs down from the first top wall 410 and is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 51Z of the container body 50Z. The cap body 400Z comprises a cylindrical sealing portion 430 configured to protrude downward from the first top wall 410 and a cylindrical projection 411 provided radially outward from the cylindrical sealing portion 430.

[0085] Furthermore, the cap body 400Z is provided with an engaging projection 421a that can engage with the first engaged portion 51b provided on the mouth portion 51Z of the container body 50Z. In this embodiment as well, the lower end of the body portion 420Z is provided with a plurality of engaging portions (enlarged diameter portions) 421 that are spaced apart in the circumferential direction, and the above-mentioned engaging projection 421a is provided on the inner circumferential surface of each of these plurality of engaging portions 421. In this embodiment as well, the inner circumferential surface of the body portion 420Z is formed with a large diameter portion 425, a small diameter portion 426 above the large diameter portion 425, and a stepped surface 427 between them. In addition, an annular convex portion 422 and an annular engaging recess 423 are provided on the outer circumferential surface side of the body portion 420.

[0086] <Outer cap> In particular, the outer cap 500Z will be described with reference to Figure 21. The outer cap 500Z comprises a second top wall 510 and an outer cylinder portion 520Z that hangs down from the second top wall 510 and covers the outer circumference of the body portion 420Z of the cap body 400Z. The inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion 520Z has a small diameter portion 522, a large diameter portion 523 above the small diameter portion 522, a stepped surface 524 between them, and an annular engaging recess 525. Below the outer cylinder portion 520Z, a tamper-evident band 530 is provided integrally with the outer cylinder portion 520Z. The tamper-evident band 530 is connected to the outer cylinder portion 520Z by a thin-walled portion 540 that is separated when the cap is opened. In addition, a slit 533 is formed in the tamper-evident band 530 on the tip side of its tip portion 532. In addition, multiple flaps 531 are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the tamper-evident band 530.

[0087] The outer cap 500Z, configured as described above, is slidable between a first position in which the cap body 400Z is fitted to the opening 51Z and a second position in which the cap body 400Z is not fitted to the opening 51Z. Furthermore, the thin-walled portion 540 can be separated by inserting a finger into the slit 533 and pulling up the tip portion 532. This allows the tamper-evident band 530 to be detached from the outer cylinder portion 520Z. In this embodiment, a configuration in which the tamper-evident band 530 is detached from the outer cylinder portion 520Z is shown, but a configuration in which the tamper-evident band 530 is not detached from the outer cylinder portion 520Z can also be adopted. In this case, if a configuration is adopted in which the thin-walled portion 540 is not provided around the entire circumference, but a part remains connected, the tamper-evident band 530 will not detach from the outer cylinder portion 520Z unless an unexpected force is applied.

[0088] <Dimensional relationships between parts of the container body, cap body, and outer cap> The outer diameter of the portion of the outer circumferential surface of the body portion 420Z of the cap body 400Z between the engaging portion 421 and the annular projection 422 is set to be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 522 on the inner circumferential surface of the outer cap 500Z. Furthermore, the maximum outer diameters of the engaging portion 421 and the annular projection 422 are set to be larger than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 522, and the maximum outer diameter of the annular projection 422 is set to be less than or equal to the inner diameter of the large diameter portion 523 on the inner circumferential surface of the outer cap 500. In addition, when no external force is acting, the outer diameter of the cylindrical seal portion 430 is set to be greater than or equal to the inner diameter of the inner circumferential surface 51a of the mouth portion 51.

[0089] <Assembling the cap> The assembly process of cap 10Z will be explained with reference to Figures 22(a) and (b). In this embodiment, the cap body 400Z is inserted into the outer cap 500Z (see arrow S1 in Figure 22(a)). As a result, the annular projection 422 on the body portion 420 fits into the engaging recess 525 on the outer cylinder portion 520Z, and the flap 531 on the tamper-evident band 530 fits into the engaging recess 423 on the body portion 420Z. Thus, the outer cap 500Z is fixed to the cap body 400Z (see Figure 22(b)).

[0090] <Sealing> The process of attaching the cap 10Z to the container body 50Z (the capping process) will be explained with reference to Figures 22(c),(d),(e), and(f). Figures 22(c) and (d) show the state in which the outer cap 500Z is in the second position relative to the cap body 400Z, and Figures 22(e) and (f) show the state in which the outer cap 500Z is in the first position relative to the cap body 400Z.

[0091] With the central axis of the container body 50Z and the central axis of the cap 10Z aligned, the cap 10Z is pushed toward the container body 50Z (see arrow T1 in Figure 22(c)). As a result, the cylindrical projection 411 of the cap body 400Z moves to a position where it abuts against the tip of the opening 51Y, the cylindrical sealing portion 430 is inserted into the opening 51Z, and the outer surface of the cylindrical sealing portion 430 comes into close contact with the inner surface 51a of the opening 51Z (see Figure 22(d)).

[0092] As the cap 10Z is pushed in further, the cap body 400Z remains stationary relative to the container body 50Z, while the outer cap 500Z moves (see arrows S2 and T1 in Figure 22(e)). During this process, the outer surface of the engaging portion 421 is pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 520Z of the outer cap 500Z, causing the engaging projection 421a to engage with the first engaged portion 51b, and the cap body 400Z is fitted onto the mouth portion 51Z. Subsequently, as the cap 10Z is pushed in further, the outer cap 500Z moves, and the flap 531 of the tamper-evident band 530 engages with the lower end of the body portion 420Z of the cap body 400Z (the lower tip of the engaging portion 421). As a result, the cap 10Z cannot be pulled out relative to the container body 50Z, and the cap 10Z is attached to the container body 50Z (see Figure 22(f)).

[0093] <The process of attaching and detaching the cap from the container body> Referring to Figures 23 and 24, the operation of attaching and detaching the cap 10Z to the container body 50Z will be described. When opening the cap 10Z in an unopened container 1Z, the tamper-evident band 530 is detached from the outer cylinder portion 520Z of the outer cap 500Z (see Figure 23(a)). This makes it possible to pull the cap 10Z off the container body 50Z. When the cap 10Z is pulled off the container body 50Z in this state, the outer cap 500Z moves relative to the cap body 400Z (see arrows S1 and T2 in Figure 23(b)). As long as the outer circumferential surface of the engaging portion 421 is pressed inward by the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion 520Z, the engaging projection 421a remains engaged with the first engaged portion 51b, and the cap body 400 remains stationary relative to the container body 50Y (not shown).

[0094] Furthermore, when the cap 10Z is pulled out, the outer surface of the engaging portion 421 is no longer pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 520Z, and the engaging portion 421 returns to its original shape by its own elastic restoring force (see Figure 23(b)). Figure 23(b) shows the state in which the outer cap 500Z is in the second position. In this way, as the outer cap 500Z moves from the first position to the second position, the engaging portion 421 is no longer pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 520Z, and the engagement of the engaging projection 421a with the first engaged portion 51b is released. Subsequently, when the cap 10Z is pulled out further, the stepped surface 524 of the outer cylinder portion 520Z engages with the annular projection 422 of the body portion 420Z, and the cap body 400Z and the outer cap 500Z move together (see arrow T2 in Figure 24). The cap can be opened by the above operation.

[0095] To reattach the cap 10Z, which has been removed from the container body 50Z, to the container body 50Z and close it, simply push the cap 10Z onto the container body 50Z. This is the same as the capping operation, except that the tamper-evident band 530 on the outer cap 500Z has already been detached, so the explanation is omitted. To open the container, the procedure is the same as the opening operation described above, except that the tamper-evident band 530 on the outer cap 500Z has already been detached, so the explanation is omitted.

[0096] In this embodiment, the same effects as in the third embodiment can be obtained with the cap 10Z configured as described above. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of parts can be reduced compared to the third embodiment.

[0097] (Variation of the cap body) A modified version of the cap body will be described with reference to Figure 25. In the above embodiments 1 to 4, the configuration was shown in which an engaging portion as an enlarged diameter portion was provided at the lower part of the body of the cap, and an engaging projection was provided on its inner circumferential surface. In this modified version, the configuration is shown in which an engaging projection is provided on the inner circumferential surface without an enlarged diameter portion at the lower part of the body. Note that the modified version described below can be applied to any of embodiments 1 to 4 above.

[0098] Figure 25 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of the structure near the engaging portion 121S of the cap body. In this modified example, the engaging portion 121S is provided below the body of the cap, configured not to expand in diameter when no external force is acting on it (see Figure 25(a)). Although not specifically shown, multiple slits are provided at circumferential intervals on the lower end of the body to facilitate inward deformation of the engaging portion 121S, with each of the spaces between the slits forming an engaging portion 121S. Engaging projections 121a are provided on the inner circumferential surface of each of these multiple engaging portions 121S. Furthermore, pressing projections 121b are provided on the outer circumferential surface of each of these engaging portions 121S.

[0099] With the above configuration, by sliding the outer cap downward relative to the cap body, the pressing projection 121b is pressed by the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion 220 of the outer cap, causing the engaging portion 121S to deform inward (see Figure 25(b)). As a result, similar to the embodiments described above, the engaging projection 121a can be engaged with the engaging portion provided on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth of the container body.

[0100] Furthermore, for the cap body, the configurations other than the engaging portion 121S can be appropriately adopted from the configurations of each embodiment described above. The outer cap and the tamper-evident cap can also be appropriately adopted from the configurations of each embodiment described above.

[0101] (others) The configuration of the tamper-evident band is not limited to the configurations shown in the above embodiments. For example, various known technologies can be adopted, such as a configuration in which the tamper-evident band remains on the container body after opening. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0102] 1,1X,1Y,1Z: Container 10, 10X, 10Y, 10Z: Cap 100,100X: Cap body 110: 1st top wall 120: Torso 121,121S: Engagement part 121a engaging protrusion 121b: Pressed projection 130, 130X: Cylindrical seal section 131: Ring-shaped protrusion 132: Large diameter section 133: Large diameter section 134: 1st step surface 135: 2nd step surface 136:Protrusion 200, 200X: Outer cap 210,210X: 2nd top wall 220, 220X: Outer cylinder part 230,230X: Inner cylinder part 231: Small diameter section 232: Large diameter section 233: 3rd step surface 234:Protrusion 235: Engagement protrusion 236: Flap 240: Tamper-evident band 241:Tip 242: Slit 243: Flap 250: Thin-walled section 300: Tamper Evident Cap 310: Cap body 311:Top section 312: Cylindrical section 313: Fixed structure part 313a: Cylindrical section 313b: Flap 320: Tamper-evident band 321:Tip 322: Through hole 323: 2nd thin section 324: 3rd thin wall part 325: Engagement protrusion 330: 1st thin section 400, 400Z: Cap body 410: 1st top wall 411: Cylindrical projection 420, 420Z: Fuselage section 421: Engaging part 421a: Engagement protrusion 422: Ring-shaped protrusion 423: Engaging recess 425: Large diameter section 426: Small diameter section 427: Step surface 430: Cylindrical seal section 500, 500Z: Outer cap 510:Second top wall 520, 520Z: Outer cylinder part 521:Protrusion 522: Small diameter part 523: Large diameter section 524: Step surface 525: Engaging recess 530: Tamper-evident band 531: Flap 532:Tip 533: Slit 540: Thin-walled section 600: Tamper Evident Cap 610: Cap body 611:Top section 612: Cylindrical section 612a: Annular recess 620: Tamper-evident band 621: Flap 622:Tip 623: Slit 630: Thin-walled section 50, 50X, 50Y, 50Z: Container body 51,51X,51Y,51Z: Mouth 51a: Inner surface 51b: First engaged part 51c: Second engaged part 52:Shoulder

Claims

1. A cap body having a first top wall, a cylindrical body portion hanging down from the first top wall and attached to the outer circumferential surface of the mouth of the container body, and a cylindrical sealing portion configured to be in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the mouth, A second top wall, and an outer cap having an outer cylinder portion that hangs down from the second top wall and covers the outer circumference of the body portion, A cap equipped with, The lower end of the body portion is provided with an engaging portion having an engaging projection that can engage with the engaging portion provided in the mouth portion. The outer cap is configured to slide between a first position and a second position relative to the cap body, and when the outer cap is in the first position, the outer surface of the engaging portion is pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion, causing the engaging projection to engage with the engaged portion and the cap body to fit into the opening, and as the outer cap moves from the first position to the second position, the engaging portion is no longer pressed by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion, thereby releasing the engagement of the engaging projection with the engaged portion, A cap characterized by being provided with a tamper-evident band that engages with the outer circumferential surface of the opening or the body of the cap.

2. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a tamper-evident cap that is configured to be movable integrally with the outer cap and has the tamper-evident band.

3. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the tamper-evident band is integrally provided with the outer cap.

4. The outer cap has an inner cylindrical portion that hangs down from the second top wall and is inserted into the cylindrical seal portion, The inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion is provided with an annular projection, and the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion is provided with a small diameter portion. When the outer cap is in the first position, the annular projection is pressed radially outward by the larger diameter portion of the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion that is above the smaller diameter portion, so that the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion and the inner circumferential surface of the opening portion are in close contact around the entire circumference. The cap according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that when the outer cap is in the second position, the annular projection faces the small diameter portion, the annular projection is not pressed radially outward, and a gap is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion and the inner circumferential surface of the opening portion.

5. The cap according to claim 4, characterized in that, when opening, as the outer cap slides from a first position to a second position, the annular projection moves from a position where it slides with the large diameter portion to a position where it faces the small diameter portion, and after the annular projection contacts a projection provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion below the small diameter portion, the outer cap and the cap body are configured to move integrally.

6. The cap according to claim 4, characterized in that, as the outer cap slides from the second position to the first position, the annular projection abuts against the stepped surface between the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion, so that the outer cap and the cap body can move integrally until the cap body is restricted from moving by the opening portion.

7. Between the outer circumferential surface of the body portion and the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion, the outer part relative to the cap body The cap according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that it is provided with a restricting structure that restricts the sliding range of the cap.

8. The cap according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that the engaging portion is composed of a plurality of enlarged diameter portions provided at intervals in the circumferential direction at the lower end of the body portion, and the engaging projection is provided on the inner circumferential surface of each of the plurality of enlarged diameter portions.

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