cap

Abstract

To provide a cap that improves the opening and closing operation while ensuring a more reliable sealing function. [Solution] The outer cap 200 is configured to slide between a first position in which the cap body 100 is fitted into the mouth 51 and a second position in which the cap body 100 is not fitted into the mouth 51. When the outer cap 200 is in the first position, the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion 130 and the inner circumferential surface of the mouth 51 are in close contact around the entire circumference. When the outer cap 100 is in the second position, a gap is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion 130 and the inner circumferential surface of the mouth 51, and a stopper structure is provided that defines the sliding range of the outer cap 200 relative to the cap body 100.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a container provided 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 increasing number of caps with excellent usability, such as hinge-type caps and caps that can be pulled out or pushed in while pushing the side surface of the cap. For example, a cap composed of a cap body and an outer cap configured to be slidable on the cap body is known. In the cap configured in this way, the cap can be attached to and detached from the container body by the sliding operation of the outer cap. [[ID=I3]]

[0003] In the cap configured as described above, in the process of pushing the cap into the container body when closing the cap, after a sealed state is ensured between the cap body and the mouth portion of the container body, the outer cap needs to slide with respect to the cap body. This is because if the outer cap slides with respect to the cap body before the sealed state is ensured, the cap body will fit into the outer cap, and the cap body cannot be fitted to the mouth portion of the container body.

[0004] Therefore, the applicant of the present application has already proposed a technique in which the force required to slide the outer cap with respect to the cap body is greater than the sliding resistance generated when the sealing portion closes the mouth portion (see Patent Document I). However, from the perspective of improving usability, it is actually difficult to adjust the force relationship only with the sliding resistance and the sliding force of the outer cap with respect to the cap body as described above under the desire to minimize the force required for operation. Therefore, there is still room for improvement.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a cap that can perform a more reliable sealing function while improving the opening and closing operation of the cap. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.

[0008] The present invention provides a cap comprising: 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, and an insertion portion inserted into the cylinder of the cylindrical sealing portion, wherein the outer cap is configured to slide between a first position in which the cap body is fitted to the mouth and a second position in which the cap body is not fitted to the mouth, and when the outer cap is in the first position, the cylindrical sealing portion is pressed radially outward by the cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion, so that the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical sealing portion and the inner peripheral surface of the mouth are in close contact around the entire circumference, and when the outer cap is in the second position, the cylindrical outer peripheral surface The cylindrical seal portion is not pressed radially outward, a gap is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion and the inner circumferential surface of the opening, and a stopper structure is provided that defines the sliding range of the outer cap relative to the cap body.

[0009] 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, because the stopper structure allows the outer cap and the cap body to move integrally, the cap can be attached to and detached from the container body by the sliding motion of the outer cap. When the outer cap is in the second position, a gap is formed between the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion and the inner circumferential surface of the mouth. Therefore, during the process of inserting the cylindrical seal portion into the mouth, the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion does not receive sliding resistance from the inner circumferential surface of the mouth, so the cylindrical seal portion can be inserted into the mouth more reliably. When the outer cap is in the first position, the cylindrical seal portion is pressed radially outward by the cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the insertion portion, and the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion and the inner circumferential surface of the mouth are in close contact around the entire circumference. This enhances the sealing performance of the cylindrical seal portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, the present invention makes it possible to improve the opening and closing operation of the cap while more reliably achieving a sealing function. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [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 diagram illustrates the assembly and attachment / detachment operations of a cap according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, with each component shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 6] 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 7] 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 and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the outer cap (CC cross-sectional view in (a)). [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of a tamper evident cap according to Embodiment 2 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 (DD cross-sectional view in (a)). [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram of the assembly operation of the cap according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, with each component shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram of the assembly operation of the cap according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, with each component shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the operation of attaching and detaching the cap to the container body according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. (a), (b), and (c) show schematic cross-sectional views of each component, while (d) shows a front view. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates the operation of attaching and detaching the cap to the container body according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, with each component shown in a schematic cross-sectional view. [Figure 13] This is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the cap body of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail by way of example based on the examples with reference to the drawings below. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in this example are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to these, unless otherwise specifically described. In the following description, "upper" means the vertical upper direction in a state where the cap is mounted on the container body and the cap is facing upward with respect to the container body, and "lower" means the vertical lower direction in a state where the cap is mounted on the container body and the cap is facing upward with respect to the container body. Also, in each figure, the arrow SN (N is 1 or 2) indicates the relative movement direction between the members constituting the cap, and the arrow TN (N is 1 or 2) indicates the relative movement direction between the member 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, etc.

[0013] (Example 1) The cap according to Example 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

[0014] <Container> The container 1 is composed of a container body 50 and a cap 10. First, the container body 50 will be described (see FIGS. 6 and 7). In each figure, only a part of the container body 50 is shown. As is generally known, the container body 50 includes a mouth portion 51, a shoulder portion, and a body portion. The mouth portion 51 is a constricted portion above the shoulder portion at the upper part of the body portion, and corresponds to the neck portion having a mouth (opening) at the tip.

[0015] In this example, the inner peripheral surface 51a of the mouth portion 51 is constituted by a cylindrical surface. The inner peripheral surface 51a corresponds to the mouth (opening). And an engaged portion 51b is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 51. In this example, the engaged portion is constituted by an annular protrusion, but the engaged portion in the present invention is not limited to the annular protrusion and can also be constituted by protrusions provided intermittently in the circumferential direction.

[0016] <Cap> Next, we will describe a cap 10 that is detachably attached to the opening 51 of the container body 50. In this embodiment, the cap 10 is attached to the opening 51 by a pushing motion and removed from the opening 51 by a pulling motion. This cap 10 consists of a cap body 100 and an outer cap 200.

[0017] <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.

[0018] Furthermore, an annular projection 131 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal 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 outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical seal portion 130 and the inner circumferential surface 51a of the opening portion 51 are configured as described above. By being in close contact, it provides a sealing function.

[0019] The cap body 100 is provided with an engaging projection 121a that can engage with an 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.

[0020] <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 cylinder 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 cylinder portion 230 that hangs down from the second top wall 210 and serves as an insertion portion inserted into the cylinder of the cylindrical seal portion 130. A small diameter portion 231 is provided on the outer circumferential surface (cylindrical outer circumferential surface) of the inner cylinder portion 230. A large diameter portion 232 is provided above the small diameter portion 231 on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 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 portion 234 is provided below the small diameter portion 231 on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 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, in this embodiment, the insertion portion is shown as a cylindrical inner cylinder portion 230, but in the present invention, the insertion portion can also be made of a cylindrical portion.

[0021] 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.

[0022] <Dimensional relationships between parts of the container body, cap body, and outer cap> Referring to Figure 5, the dimensional relationships of each part of the container body 50, cap body 100, and outer cap 200 will be explained. When no external force is acting, on the outer circumferential surface of the inner cylindrical portion 230 of the outer cap 200, the outer diameters of the large diameter portion 232 and the protruding portion 234 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.

[0023] <Assembling the cap> The assembly operation of the cap 10 will be explained with reference to Figures 5(a) and 5(b). As shown in Figure 5(a), the outer cap 200 is inserted into the cap body 100 so that the inner cylinder portion 230 is inserted into the cylindrical seal portion 130 (see arrow S1). As a result, the protruding portion 234 overcomes the annular projection portion 131, and the annular projection portion 131 and the small diameter portion 231 face each other, so that the cap body 100 does not come off the outer cap 200 (see Figure 5(b)).

[0024] <Sealing> Referring to Figures 5(c), 5(d), and 5(e), the process of attaching the cap 10 to the container body 50 (the capping process) will be explained. Note that in Figures 5(c) and 5(d), the outer cap 200 is attached to the cap body 1. Figure (e) shows the state where the outer cap 200 is in the second position relative to the cap body 100.

[0025] 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 5(c)), and moves until the first top wall 110 of the cap body 100 abuts against the tip of the mouth 51 (see Figure 5(d)).

[0026] Furthermore, when the cap 10 is pushed in, the outer cap 200 moves while the cap body 100 remains stationary relative to the container body 50, and the cap 10 is attached to the container body 50 (see arrows S1 and T1 in Figure 5(e)). In this state, the outer cap 200 is in a first position relative to the cap body 100. 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 220 of the outer cap 200, causing the engaging projection 121a to engage with the 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 circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 230, causing the cylindrical sealing portion 130 to expand in diameter, and its outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential 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.

[0027] <The process of attaching and detaching the cap from the container body> Referring to Figure 6, the operation of attaching and detaching the cap 10 from the container body 50 will be explained. When the cap 10 is pulled off from the container body 50, the outer cap 200 moves (see arrows S2 and T2 in Figure 6(a)). 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 engaged portion 51b, and the cap body 100 remains stationary relative to the container body 50 (see Figure 6(a)).

[0028] 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 6(b)). Figure 6(b) 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 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 and the outer cap 200 move together (see arrow T2 in Figure 6(c)).

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] When the cap 10, which has been removed from the container body 50, is to be reattached to the container body 50 and closed, the cap 10 should be pushed into the container body 50, which is almost the same as the operation when the cap is first sealed. Note that the annular protrusion 1 Port 31 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 to a position where the movement of the cap body 100 is restricted by the opening portion 51. Further opening is performed in the same manner as described above, so the explanation is omitted.

[0032] As can be seen from the above description, the cap 10 according to this embodiment is provided with a stopper structure that defines the sliding range of the outer cap 200 relative to the cap body 100. That is, when plugging and closing the cap, as the outer cap 200 slides from the second position to the first position, the annular projection 131 abuts against the third stepped surface 233, and the outer cap 200 and the cap body 100 move together. This structure defines the sliding range of the outer cap 200 relative to the cap body 100. Also, when opening the cap, as the outer cap 200 slides from the first position to the second position, the projection 234 of the inner cylinder 230 engages with the second stepped surface 135 of the cylindrical seal 130, and the cap body 100 and the outer cap 200 move together. This structure defines the sliding range of the outer cap 200 relative to the cap body 100. Furthermore, since the stopper structure is located further in diameter than the inner circumferential surface 51a of the opening 51, the cap 10 does not become bulky in the outer diameter and height directions.

[0033] <Advantages of the cap according to this embodiment> According to the cap 10 of this embodiment, the engaging projection 121a provided on the cap body 100 can be engaged with or disengaged from the engaged portion 51b provided on the mouth portion 51 of the container body 50 by sliding the outer cap 200 between a first position and a second position. As a result, the ease of attaching and detaching the cap 10 is improved compared to a screw-type cap.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] (Example 2) Figures 7 to 12 show Embodiment 2 of the present invention. This embodiment shows a configuration in which a tamper-evident function is added to the configuration of Embodiment 1. The other basic configurations and operations are the same as in Embodiment 1, so the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0037] <Container> Container 1X consists of a container body 50X and a cap 10X. First, the container body 50X will be described (see Figure 11, etc.). Note that in each figure, only a part of the container body 50X is shown. The container body 50X in this embodiment differs from Embodiment 1 only in that, in addition to the engaged portion 51b, an engaged portion 51c for tamper evident is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 51. Note that in this embodiment as well, the engaged portion is composed of an annular projection, but the engaged portion in the present invention is not limited to annular projections and can also be composed of projections provided intermittently in the circumferential direction.

[0038] <Cap> A cap 10X, which is detachably attached to the mouth 51 of the container body 50X, will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the cap 10X is attached to the mouth 51 by a pushing motion and removed from the mouth 51 by a pulling motion. This cap 10X consists of a cap body 100, an outer cap 200X, and a tamper-evident cap 300.

[0039] <Cap body> The configuration of the cap body 100 is the same as that of Example 1, so its description will be omitted.

[0040] <Outer cap> In particular, the outer cap 200X will be described with reference to Figure 7. The outer cap 200X comprises a second top wall 210X, an outer cylinder portion 220 that hangs down from the second top wall 210X and covers the outer circumference of the body portion 120 of the cap body 100, and an inner cylinder portion 230 that hangs down from the second top wall 210 and is inserted into the cylinder of the cylindrical seal portion 130. The second top wall 210X has an opening, which allows the inner cylinder portion 230 to penetrate through it, which is different from the configuration of the second top wall 210 in Embodiment 1. Note that the same configuration as the second top wall 210X in Embodiment 1 may also be adopted. Furthermore, the configuration of the outer circumferential surface (cylindrical outer circumferential surface) of the inner cylinder portion 230 is the same as in Embodiment 1, so its explanation will be omitted. In this embodiment, the annular engaging projection 235 is provided near the upper end of the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder portion 230, which is different from the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0041] The outer cap 200X, configured as described above, is slidable 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.

[0042] <Dimensional relationships between parts of the container body, cap body, and outer cap> Since these dimensional relationships are the same as in Example 1, their explanation will be omitted.

[0043] <Tamper-evident cap> In particular, the tamper-evident cap 300 will be described with reference to Figure 8. 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 200X. 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.

[0044] The tamper-evident band 320 is separated by the first thin-walled portion 330 when the bottle is opened. The tamper-evident band 320 is connected to the cap body 310 so as to be an integral part of it. In addition, the tamper-evident band 320 has a through hole 322 formed on the tip side of its tip 321, and a second thin-walled portion 323 and a third thin-walled portion 324 are provided on both sides of this through hole 322, respectively, which are separated when the cap is opened. Furthermore, an annular engaging projection 325 is provided at the lower end of the tamper-evident band 320.

[0045] 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.

[0046] <Assembling the cap> The assembly operation of the cap 10X will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. First, the flap 313b for preventing the tamper evident cap 300 from coming off is bent, and the outer cap 200X is inserted into the tamper evident cap 300 (see arrow S2 in Figure 9(a)). As a result, the flap 313b engages with the engaging projection 235, fixing the tamper evident cap 300 and the outer cap 200X together (see Figure 9(b)). Next, the cap body 100 is inserted into the tamper evident cap 300 (see arrow S2 in Figure 10(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 unable to come off the outer cap 200X (see Figure 10(b)).

[0047] <Sealing> Referring to Figure 11, the process of attaching the cap 10X to the container body 50X (the capping process) will be explained. Figures 11(a) and (b) show the state in which the outer cap 200X is in the second position relative to the cap body 100, and Figures 11(c) and (d) show the state in which the outer cap 200X is in the first position relative to the cap body 100.

[0048] 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 11(a)). As described in Example 1, the cap 10 moves with almost no resistance from the container body 50X until the first top wall 110 of the cap body 100 abuts against the tip of the mouth 51 (see Figure 11(b)).

[0049] Furthermore, when the cap 10X is pushed in, the cap body 100 remains stationary relative to the container body 50X, while the tamper-evident cap 300 and the outer cap 200 move together, and the cap 10X is attached to the container body 50X (see Figures 11(c) and 11(d)). In this state, the outer cap 200X is 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 200X, causing the engaging projection 121a to engage with the engaged portion 51b, and the cap body 100 is fitted into the mouth portion 51. Also, 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 50X is sealed. Furthermore, the lower end of the tamper-evident band 320 The engaging projection 325 engages with the engaged portion 51c of the container body 50X. As a result, the cap 10X cannot be removed from the container body 50X.

[0050] <The process of attaching and detaching the cap from the container body> Referring to Figure 12, the operation of attaching and detaching the cap 10X to the container body 50X will be explained. When opening the cap 10X in an unopened container 1X, the tamper-evident band 320 is detached from the cap body portion 310 of the tamper-evident cap 300 (see Figure 12(a)). This makes it possible to pull the cap 10X off the container body 50X. When the cap 10X is pulled off the container body 50X in this state, the tamper-evident cap 300 and the outer cap 200X move together (see arrows S2 and T2 in Figure 12(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 engaged portion 51b, and the cap body 100 remains stationary relative to the container body 50X (see Figure 12(b)).

[0051] 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 12(c)). Figure 12(c) shows the outer cap 200X in the second position. 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 220, and the engagement of the engaging projection 121a with the engaged portion 51b is released. Subsequently, when the cap 10X is pulled out further, 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, the outer cap 200X, and the tamper evident cap 300 move together as a single unit (see arrow T2 in Figure 12(d)).

[0052] 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 200X 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] When reattaching the cap 10X, which has been removed from the container body 50X, to the container body 50X to close it, 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 320 on the tamper-evident cap 300 has already been detached. Therefore, the operation of the cap body 100 and the outer cap 200X is almost the same as when 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 100 move together until the cap body 100 is restricted from moving by the opening portion 51.

[0055] 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.

[0056] As can be seen from the above explanation, the cap 10X in this embodiment is also the same as in Example 1. Similarly, it goes without saying that a stopper structure is provided that defines the sliding range of the outer cap 200 relative to the cap body 100.

[0057] In this embodiment, the cap 10X configured as described above can achieve the same effects as in Embodiment 1. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tamper-evident band 320 is provided, making it easy to determine whether or not the cap is unopened.

[0058] (A modified version of the cap body) A modified version of the cap body will be described with reference to Figure 13. In the above embodiments 1 and 2, 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 enlarged diameter portion is not provided at the lower part of the body, and an engaging projection is provided on its inner circumferential surface. Note that the modified version described below can be applied to either embodiment 1 or 2 above.

[0059] Figure 13 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of the structure near the engaging portion 121S of the cap body. In this modified example, an 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 13(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.

[0060] 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 13(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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] (others) The configuration of the tamper-evident band is not limited to the configuration shown in Example 2 above. For example, various known technologies can be adopted, such as a configuration in which the tamper-evident band remains on the container body when the unopened cap is removed from the container body. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1,1X: Container 10,10X: Cap 100: Cap body 110: 1st top wall 120: Torso 121,121S: Engagement part 121a: Engaging protrusion 121b: Pressed projection 130: Cylindrical seal section 131: Ring-shaped protrusion 132,133: Large diameter section 134: 1st step surface 135: 2nd step surface 200, 200X: Outer cap 210,210X: 2nd top wall 220: Outer cylinder part 230: Inner cylinder 231: Small diameter section 232: Large diameter section 233: 3rd step surface 234:Protrusion 235: Engagement protrusion 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 50, 50X: Container body 51: Mouth 51a: Inner surface 51b, 51c: Engaged part

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, An outer cap having a second top wall, an outer cylindrical portion hanging down from the second top wall and covering the outer circumference of the body portion, and an insertion portion inserted into the cylindrical seal portion, A cap equipped with, The outer cap is configured to slide between a first position in which the cap body is fitted to the opening and a second position in which the cap body is not fitted to the opening. When the outer cap is in the first position, the cylindrical sealing portion is pressed radially outward by the cylindrical outer surface of the insertion portion, causing the outer surface of the cylindrical sealing portion and the inner surface of the opening to be in close contact around the entire circumference. When the outer cap is in the second position, the cylindrical sealing portion is not pressed radially outward by the cylindrical outer surface, and a gap is formed between the outer surface of the cylindrical sealing portion and the inner surface of the opening. A cap characterized by having a stopper structure that defines the sliding range of the outer cap relative to the cap body.

2. The cylindrical seal portion has an annular projection on its inner circumferential surface, and the cylindrical outer circumferential surface has 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 cylindrical outer surface above the smaller diameter portion, causing the outer surface of the cylindrical seal portion and the inner surface of the opening portion to be in close contact around the entire circumference. The cap according to claim 1, 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.

3. The cap according to claim 2, characterized in that the stopper structure is configured such that, 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 below the small diameter portion on the cylindrical outer surface, the outer cap and the cap body can move integrally.

4. The cap according to claim 2, characterized in that the stopper structure is configured such that the annular projection abuts against the stepped surface between the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion as the outer cap slides from the second position to the first position, so that the outer cap and the cap body can move integrally until the cap body is restricted from moving by the opening.

5. 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 surface of the engaging portion is pressed inward by the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion of the outer cap located in the first position, causing the engaging projection to engage with the engaged portion and the cap body to fit into the opening. The cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in the process of the outer cap moving from a first position to a second position, the engaging portion is no longer pressed by the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder, thereby releasing the engagement of the engaging projection with the engaged portion.

6. The engaging portions are provided at the lower end of the body portion, spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The cap according to claim 5, characterized in that it is composed of multiple enlarged diameter portions, and each of the multiple enlarged diameter portions is provided with the engagement projection on its inner circumferential surface.

7. The cap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises a tamper-evident cap that is configured to be movable integrally with the outer cap and has a tamper-evident band.

8. The cap according to claim 7, characterized in that the insertion portion is composed of a cylindrical part, and the tamper-evident cap is provided with a fixing structure that is inserted into the cylindrical part and fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical part.

9. The cap according to claim 7, characterized in that the tamper-evident band is configured to be engageable with the outer circumferential surface of the opening.

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