Hinge Cap

Abstract

To provide a hinge cap capable of easily wiping dripped liquid, even when the liquid is dripped on a pour-out side of a cap body during pour-out of a content.SOLUTION: A hinge cap comprising a cap body B and a lid body D comprises an inner cylinder 7 and an outer peripheral wall part 8 whose cap body B is vertically disposed with a mouth 1 of a container A interposed therebetween, and a base wall part 6 continuously provided on the inner cylinder 7 and the outer peripheral wall part 8. The outer peripheral wall part 8 comprises a step recess 15 whose flat surface 15a lower than an upper surface on a hinge C side is formed in a predetermined arc range on a pour-out side; a back surface outer wall part 23 erected in an arc range other than the step recess 15 along an outer peripheral direction on the hinge C side; and a slit groove 18 whose bottom surface 20 is continuous with the flat surface 15a of the step recess 15, that is formed between the back surface outer wall part 23 and the base wall part 6. The lid body D comprises a top wall 30; a side peripheral wall 31 vertically disposed from a peripheral edge of the top wall 30; and a covering wall 39 for covering the step recess 15, that is vertically disposed from the pour-out side of the side peripheral wall 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge cap that is attached to the mouth of a container, and more particularly to a hinge cap that allows liquid that drips onto the pouring side to be easily wiped off. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, hinge caps have been known that are provided with a separation mechanism that separates a cap body from a container by lifting an open top lid at the time of disposal. For this type of hinge cap, various structures have been proposed for breaking the tubular portion that fits into the mouth of the container, but due to the balance between the strength and sealing ability required to fit and hold the cap into the mouth of the container, a considerable amount of force is required to break the tubular portion.

[0003] For this reason, a hinge cap is known in which the cap body is provided with an engaging tube portion including an outer tube and an inner tube suspended on either side of an engaging portion with the mouth of the container, and an engaging ring connected to the outer tube and inner tube and having an engaging portion with the top lid at its upper portion, the outer tube connected to the hinge is provided with a vertical tear line with a vertical cut portion near the hinge, and a slit groove is provided between the outer tube and the engaging ring, the slit groove having an opening upward over an arc range of a predetermined circumferential angle from the vertical tear line, and a circumferential tear line consisting of a thin-walled connecting portion connecting the outer tube and the engaging ring is provided on the bottom surface of the slit groove, connected to the vertical tear line (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-153429 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the hinge cap described in Patent Document 1, when the contents are poured out from the pouring tube of the cap body, they drip and accumulate in the slit groove formed on the upper surface of the mating tube of the cap body, and this cannot be easily wiped off, which is unhygienic.

[0006] The present invention has an object to solve the above problem and to provide a hinge cap that allows dripping liquid to be easily wiped off even if the liquid drips onto the pouring side of the cap body when the contents are poured out. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a hinge cap comprising a cap body to be attached to a container and a lid body attached to the cap body via a hinge, the cap body having an inner tube and an outer peripheral wall portion suspended across the mouth of the container, and a base wall portion connected to the inner tube and the outer peripheral wall portion, the outer peripheral wall portion being provided with a hinge side within a predetermined arc range on the pouring side. A specified distance below the top The container has a step recess on which a flat surface is formed, a rear outer wall portion that is erected in an arc-shaped range other than the step recess along the outer circumferential direction of the hinge side, and a slit groove that is formed between the rear outer wall portion and the base wall portion and whose bottom surface is continuous with the flat surface of the step recess, and the lid body has a configuration characterized by having a top wall, a side wall that is suspended from the periphery of the top wall, and a covering wall that is suspended from the pouring side of the side wall and covers the step recess.

[0008] As an embodiment of the hinge cap, the slit groove is configured such that the depth from the upper surface of the rear outer wall portion gradually becomes shallower from the hinge side toward the pouring side, and the bottom surface of the slit groove is the flat surface of the step recess. Be flush The present invention employs a configuration characterized by the above.

[0009] Further, as a specific embodiment of the hinge cap, The outer wall The present invention adopts a configuration characterized by having a separation mechanism consisting of a vertical tear line formed vertically from the vicinity of the hinge toward the bottom surface of the slit groove, and a circumferential tear line formed from the vertical tear line along the bottom surface of the slit groove. Effect of the Invention

[0010] By adopting the above-mentioned configuration, the hinge cap of the present invention is such that even if the liquid drips onto the pouring side of the cap body when the contents are poured out, the dripped liquid will not accumulate on the pouring side, and the dripped liquid can be easily wiped off.

[0011] In addition, the hinge cap of the present invention is designed so that the slit grooves have a depth from the top surface of the rear outer wall that gradually becomes shallower from the hinge side toward the pouring side. Therefore, when separating the container, the force pulling the outer wall is directed upward, making it easier to apply force, and the outer wall can be easily separated from the lid engagement portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a container with a hinge cap according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a closed state. [Diagram 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the hinge cap according to the first embodiment of the present invention in an open state, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a side cross-sectional view. [Diagram 3] 2(a) is an enlarged view of the main part of the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2(a), where (a) is a side cross-sectional view taken along line O-X1 (0° from the center of the hinge), (b) is a side cross-sectional view taken along line O-X2 (45° from the center of the hinge), (c) is a side cross-sectional view taken along line O-X3 (60° from the center of the hinge), and (d) is a side cross-sectional view taken along line O-X4 (90° from the center of the hinge). [Figure 4] 1A to 1C are top views showing a process of separating hinge caps from a container to which the hinge caps are attached according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 11 is a side cross-sectional view showing a container with a hinge cap according to a second embodiment of the present invention in a closed state. FIG. [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing a hinge cap according to a second embodiment of the present invention in an open state, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a side cross-sectional view. [Figure 7] 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing a container with a hinge cap according to a third embodiment of the present invention in a closed state. FIG. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a hinge cap according to a third embodiment of the present invention in an open state, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a side cross-sectional view. [Figure 9] 13 is a side cross-sectional view showing a container with a hinge cap according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention in a closed state. FIG. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a hinge cap according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention in an open state, in which (a) is a top view and (b) is a side cross-sectional view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Next, the hinge cap of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings showing an embodiment. In the following description, in FIG. 1, the left side is the "pouring side", the right side is the "rear side", the upper side is the "upper", and the lower side is the "lower". EXAMPLES

[0014] In FIG. 1, A is a container, B is a cap body attached to the container A, and D is a lid body attached to the cap body B via a hinge C so as to be able to open and close. Container A has a mouth 1 at its top, and a fitting ridge 2 is provided on the upper outer periphery of mouth 1, and the upper outer periphery of fitting ridge 2 forms an inclined surface 2a.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cap body B comprises an attachment portion 3 that is fitted into the mouth portion 1 of the container A, an upper wall 4 that extends inward from the inner edge of the attachment portion 3 and seals the opening of the mouth portion 1, a pouring outlet 4a that penetrates the upper wall 4, and a pouring tube 5 that is erected on the upper surface of the upper wall 4 with a diameter slightly wider than the pouring outlet 4a. In order to make it easier to pour the content liquid, in this embodiment, the pouring side of the pouring tube 5 is formed higher than the back side (hinge C side), and the lip portion 5a is widened in a trumpet shape.

[0016] The mounting portion 3 is composed of an annular lid engagement portion 6 that engages with the lid body D, an inner tube 7 that hangs down from the inner side of the lid engagement portion 6, and an outer peripheral wall portion 8 that hangs down from the outer side of the lid engagement portion 6, and a hinge C is connected to the upper end on the back side of the outer peripheral wall portion 8, and an engagement protrusion 9 is provided at the lower inner circumference for engaging with a mating protrusion 2 of the mouth portion 1 of the container A. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 3 is composed of an inner tube 7 and an outer peripheral wall portion 8 which are vertically arranged across the mouth 1 of the container A, and a lid engagement portion 6 which is connected to the inner tube 7 and the outer peripheral wall portion 8. However, the connection between the inner tube 7 and the outer peripheral wall portion 8 is not limited to the lid engagement portion 6, and any ring-shaped base wall portion can be used, and in this case, the lid engagement portion 6 can be provided on the peripheral portion of the upper wall 4.

[0017] The lid engagement portion 6 has an arc-shaped lid engagement protrusion 11 that stands up, leaving a notch 10 cut into the lid engagement portion 6 from the center of the rear side to the left and right within a specified range at the same height as the upper surface of the upper wall 4, and within the notch 10, multiple rear side protrusions 12 are protruding from both ends of the lid engagement protrusion 11 with equally spaced gaps between them. The cover engaging projection 11 is provided on its outer periphery with a locking projection 13 .

[0018] At the upper part of the outer peripheral wall portion 8, on the pouring side, there is a stepped recess 15 recessed from the outer periphery in an arc shape over a range of approximately 180°, a distance α from above, and on the remaining back side, the upper surface 8a is flush with the upper surface of the upper wall 4 and the bottom surface of the cutout portion 10, and a hinge C is connected to the upper end of the outer periphery. The step recess 15 is formed with a flat surface 15a that is a distance α below the top surface 8a, an inclined surface 15b that slopes upward and inward from the inner peripheral edge of the flat surface 15a, and inclined side surfaces 15c that slope from both sides of the end of the flat surface 15a toward both sides of the top surface 8a.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2(a), near the left of hinge C of outer peripheral wall portion 8, an outer peripheral cutout portion 16 having a generally V-shape in plan view is cut into the outer peripheral surface from upper surface 8a, leaving a thin bottom wall at the lower end. At a position corresponding to the outer peripheral notch 16 of the engaging protrusion 9 on the inner circumference of the outer peripheral wall portion 8, an inner peripheral notch (not shown) is engraved vertically, and the outer peripheral wall portion 8 in that portion is cut from inside and outside to form a vertical weakened portion 17 that constitutes a vertical tear line that thins the wall.

[0020] On the hinge C side of the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16 on the back side of the outer peripheral wall portion 8, as shown in Figure 2, a slit groove 18 is recessed from the top surface 8a, starting from a position separated by the thin-walled portion on the upper inner peripheral side of the end face 16a, extending circumferentially to the inclined side surface 15c of the step recess 15 on the right end side of the top surface 8a, and further from the inclined side surface 15c at the end of the step recess 15 to the vicinity of the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16. In addition, the top surface 8a on the opposite side of the hinge C of the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16 of the outer peripheral wall portion 8 forms a thick-walled portion 19 which integrally connects the upper part of the outer peripheral wall portion 8 and the lower part of the lid engagement portion 6.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the bottom surface 20 of the slit groove 18 is recessed deepest from the top surface 8a by a distance β from the end surface 16a side to the center of the hinge C (rear side) (line O-X1 in FIG. 2) as bottom surface 20a, as shown in FIG. 3(b) the bottom surface 20b is located near 45° (line O-X2 in FIG. 2) from the center of the hinge C toward the right side, and further as shown in FIG. 3(c) the bottom surface 20c is located near 60° (line O-X3 in FIG. 2) from the center of the hinge C toward the right side, and is formed so that the height from the top surface 8a gradually becomes shallower from the distance β, and finally, as shown in FIG. 3(d), the inclined side surface 15c of the step recess 15 is cut out from the center of the hinge C toward the right at approximately 90° (line O-X4 in FIG. 2) and is formed to connect to the end of the flat surface 15a at a distance α, and the inner circumferential side of the bottom surface 20, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, forms a thin-walled lower lateral weakened portion 21 that connects the outer circumferential wall portion 8 from the end face 16a side to the center of the hinge C and the lower wall portion of the lid engagement portion 6, and an arc-shaped connecting portion 22 is provided that inclines inward and upward from the inner circumferential edge of the bottom surface 20 that inclines upward from the center of the hinge C to approximately 90°. In addition, the portion of the outer peripheral wall portion 8 outside the slit groove 18 on the rear side constitutes a rear outer wall portion 23 that stands upright from the bottom surface 20 of the slit groove 18 to the upper surface 8a, and a hinge C is connected to a predetermined position on the outer peripheral upper end of the rear outer wall portion 23.

[0022] At the upper inner periphery of the outer peripheral wall portion 8, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3(a), from the left side to the center of the back side, a contact surface portion 24 is formed which is inclined inward and upward from above the lower horizontal weakened portion 21 and comes into contact with the inclined surface 2a of the fitting protrusion 2 when the container A is attached to the container A. From the center of the back side to the right side, as shown in Figs. 2(a), 3(b) and 3(c), a contact surface portion 24 is formed which is inclined inward and upward from the height of the inclined bottom surface 20 upward and parallel to the outer surface of the outer connecting portion 22 and comes into contact with the container A. 1, 2 and 3(d), an upward recess 27 is recessed from below into the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the lid engagement portion 6 within the range of the step recess 15, and the portion between the upward recess 27 and the sloping side surface 15c of the step recess 15 is thinned to form an upper lateral weakened portion 28. The lower lateral weakened portion 21, the inclined connecting weakened portion 26 and the upper lateral weakened portion 28 are formed in sequence and continuous to each other, forming a circumferential tear line.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lid body D is rotatably attached to the upper outer end of the outer wall portion 8 of the cap body B via a hinge C, and is provided with a top wall 30, a side wall 31 extending vertically from the periphery of the top wall 30, and a sealing tube 32 extending vertically from the back surface of the top wall 30 to seal the pouring tube 5. The top wall 30 is provided with a deformable thin-walled portion 33 on the outer periphery side of the sealing cylinder 32 .

[0024] An engagement recess 35 is provided around the inner periphery of the lower end of the side peripheral wall 31 to engage with the lid engagement protrusion 11 of the lid engagement portion 6 to maintain the lid in the closed state. The engaging recess 35 has an engaging portion 36 on its inward surface that engages with the engaging protrusion 13 of the lid engaging protrusion 11, and its downward surface 35a is adapted to abut against the upper surface of the lid engaging protrusion 11 and the upper surface of the back side protrusion 12. In addition, multiple locking protrusions 37 are arranged inside the engagement recess 35 of the side wall 31, except near the center of the pouring side, to abut against the upper inner periphery of the lid engagement protrusion 11 when the lid is closed to prevent the side wall 31 from spreading outward.

[0025] A knob 38 having an arc shape is formed in the circumferential direction at the lower part on the pouring side on the outer periphery of the side peripheral wall 31, and a hinge C is connected to the lower end part on the back side. An arc-shaped covering wall 39 is vertically attached to the pouring side outer edge of the underside of the side wall 31, and is formed so that its lower end is close to or abuts the flat surface 15a of the step recess 15 so as to cover the step recess 15 of the outer wall portion 8 of the cap body B when the lid is closed.

[0026] The sealing cylinder 32 has a normal seal portion a that is inserted into the inner surface of the pouring cylinder 5 when the lid is closed to create a sealed state, and is provided with a lower seal tube 32a whose lower outer periphery is reduced in diameter. The lower seal tube 32a is formed so as to be close to or in contact with the inner surface of the pouring outlet 4a in the upper wall 4 when the lid is closed, and another temporary seal portion b is formed below the seal portion a between the lower seal tube 32a and the inner surface of the pouring outlet 4a.

[0027] The hinge cap is sealed with two seals, the seal part a and the temporary seal part b, so even if one seal part comes off due to impact, the other seal part will seal and the contents will not leak. In addition, a space c is provided between the sealed portion a and the temporary sealed portion b, so that when a small amount of liquid contents enters the temporary sealed portion b due to an impact such as when the container A is dropped, the liquid contents can be contained in the space c.

[0028] In order to prevent unauthorized opening before use, the hinge cap of this embodiment may have a shrink label or sealing member or the like provided between the cap body B and the lid body D, although this is not shown.

[0029] Next, the manner of use and the effects of this embodiment will be described. The hinge cap of this embodiment is first integrally molded in the state shown in FIG. 2, and then the cover body D is rotated via the hinge C to cover the cap body B, and closed as shown in FIG.

[0030] At this time, the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the sealing tube 32 of the lid body D comes into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the lower part of the pouring tube 5 of the cap body B to form a seal part a. Furthermore, the engaging recess 35 of the side peripheral wall 31 of the lid body D and the lid engaging projection 11 of the lid engaging portion 6 of the cap body B engage with each other, maintaining the lid closed.

[0031] When the hinge cap of this embodiment is closed and sealed, and then a leak test is performed on the sealed seal, air is allowed to flow from below toward the pouring outlet 4a of the cap body B, and if there is a problem with the seal between the pouring tube 5 of the cap body B and the sealing tube 32 of the lid body D, the air that has leaked outward from the pouring tube 5 will flow between the cutout portion 10, excluding the rear side protrusion 12, of the lid engagement portion 6 of the cap body B that abuts against the downward surface 35a of the engagement recess 35 of the lid body D, and the air will escape to the outside from between the inward surface of the engagement recess 35 and the outer surface of the rear side protrusion 12, making it easy to determine whether there is a seal problem.

[0032] Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the closed hinge cap is attached to the mouth 1 of the container A filled with the content liquid. In the stoppering process, the mouth 1 of container A is placed into the annular groove formed between the inner tube 7 and outer peripheral wall 8 of the attachment portion 3, and a pressing force is applied from above the lid body D until the engaging protrusion 9 of the outer peripheral wall 8 overcomes the mating protrusion 2 of the mouth 1 and engages with it, and the mouth 1 of container A is clamped between the outer periphery of the inner tube 7, the inner periphery of the outer peripheral wall 8, and the lid engagement portion 6 to attach the container.

[0033] When the hinge cap of this embodiment is applied to container A filled with hot liquid, the pressure inside container A rises. However, since the top wall 30 has a deformable thin-walled portion 33 formed on the outside of the sealing tube 32, only the inner side of the thin-walled portion 33 of the top wall 30 rises, releasing the pressure outside the pouring tube 5. This means that there is no interference with the engagement between the engagement recess 35 of the side wall 31 of the lid body D and the lid engagement portion 6 of the cap body B, and the lid is maintained in a closed state. This prevents the lid body D from opening due to an increase in internal pressure when the liquid is hot. Furthermore, even if an impact force is applied to the top wall 30 of the lid body D when the container is dropped upside down in a closed state, the thin-walled portion 33 absorbs the impact received by the lid body D and the sealing tube 32 is not pushed into or pulled away from the pouring tube 5, so that the close contact between the sealing tube 32 and the pouring tube 5 of the cap body B is not affected, and it is possible to prevent the sealing tube 32 and the pouring tube 5 from coming loose or from damaging each other.

[0034] When the liquid contents in container A are to be used, by placing one's fingers on knob 38 of lid body D and lifting it, the seal between sealing tube 32 of lid body D and pouring tube 5 of cap body B is released and the engagement between side wall 31 of lid body D and lid engagement portion 6 of cap body B is released, lid body D is opened, and by tilting container A toward the pouring side, the liquid contents in container A can be poured out from pouring tube 5 through pouring outlet 4a of cap body B.

[0035] The hinge cap of this embodiment has a covering wall 39 provided on the pouring side outer edge of the underside of the side wall 31 of the lid body D, which hides the step recess 15 of the outer wall portion 8 of the cap body B when the lid is closed, and prevents fingers hanging under the knob portion 38 from hitting and coming into contact with the inside of the lid body D when the lid is opened, thereby keeping the inside of the cap clean.

[0036] By closing the lid body D again on the cap body B, the outer periphery of the sealing tube 32 of the lid body D adheres closely to the inner periphery of the dispensing tube 5 of the cap body B to form a seal, thereby sealing the inside of the container A, and the hinge cap can be used by repeatedly opening and closing the lid body D.

[0037] The hinge cap of this embodiment has a stepped recess 15 formed with a flat surface 15a and an inclined surface 15b on the pouring side of the outer wall portion 8 of the cap body B. Therefore, even if the liquid drips from the lip portion 5a of the pouring tube 5 into the lower stepped recess 15 when the container A is tilted during use, the liquid will flow to the flat surface 15a due to the inclination of the inclined surface 15b, and since the flat surface 15a is a flat surface without any bumps or irregularities, dirt can be easily wiped off with a tissue or the like.

[0038] Next, a mode in which the hinge cap is separately disposed of after the liquid content in the container A has been completely used will be described. In this case, the hinge cap is opened, and the cover body D is grasped with the fingers and pulled outward, whereby the rear outer wall portion 23, which is the connecting portion with the hinge C of the outer peripheral wall portion 8, is pulled via the hinge C, pulling and deforming the rear side of the connected outer peripheral wall portion 8. As the rear side of the outer peripheral wall portion 8 is pulled, the vertical weakened portion 17 formed by the outer peripheral cut portion 16 is broken. When the cover D is further pulled, the lower horizontal weakened portion 21 is cut in the circumferential direction from the end face 16a side connected to the vertical weakened portion 17, and then the continuous inclined connecting weakened portion 26 begins to break. When the lower lateral weakened portion 21 is cut and the fracture of the inclined connecting weakened portion 26 progresses, as shown in Figure 4, the lower side of the fractured outer peripheral wall portion 8 is separated from the cap body B by the lower lateral weakened portion 21 and the inclined connecting weakened portion 26 of the lid body D and the cap body B connected thereto.

[0039] Next, when the inclined connection weakened portion 26 is completely broken, the continuous upper horizontal weakened portion 28 is broken from the right end, and finally passes through the step recess 15 and is stopped by the thick portion 19. Furthermore, when the broken outer peripheral wall portion 8 is pulled, the thick portion 19 of the connected outer peripheral wall portion 8 is pulled outward, disengaging the engaging protrusion 9 of the outer peripheral wall portion 8 of the cap body B from the mating protrusion 2 of the mouth portion 1 of the container A, and when it is raised in this state, the upper side and its inner side of the outer peripheral wall portion 8 connected by the thick portion 19 are lifted and the cap body B is removed from the mouth portion 1 of the container A, so that the hinge cap and container A can be disposed of separately.

[0040] In the hinge cap of this embodiment, when the inclined connection weakened portion 26 is cut, the inclined connection weakened portion 26 is inclined from bottom to top to match the inclination of the bottom surface 20, so that the force pulling the lower portion of the outer wall portion 8 is directed upward and the force is easily applied. Also, since the inner parallel surface 25 forming the inclined connection weakened portion 26 moves away from the inclined surface 2a of the fitting protrusion 2 of the container A, there is less resistance to cutting, making it easier to break. In addition, when cutting the upper horizontal weakened portion 28 on the pouring side, the upward recess 27 on the inner surface of said portion is completely separated from the inclined surface 2a of the mating protrusion 2 of the container A, thereby further reducing the resistance to cutting and making it easier to break. EXAMPLES

[0041] Next, a second embodiment in which the cap body B and the lid body D of the first embodiment are modified will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, changed parts are given new reference numerals, and the differences will be mainly described.

[0042] In FIG. 5, A is a container, Ba is a cap body attached to the container A, and Da is a lid body attached to the cap body Ba via a hinge C so as to be openable and closable. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the cap body Ba comprises an attachment portion 45 that is attached to the mouth portion 1 of the container A, an upper wall 4 that extends inward from the inner edge of the attachment portion 45 and seals the opening of the mouth portion 1, a pouring outlet 4a that penetrates the upper wall 4, and a pouring tube 5 that is erected on the upper surface of the upper wall 4 with a diameter slightly larger than that of the pouring outlet 4a.

[0043] The mounting portion 45 is composed of an annular lid engagement portion 6 that engages with the lid body Da, an inner tube 7 that is suspended from the inner periphery of the lid engagement portion 6, and an outer peripheral wall portion 46 whose inner upper portion is connected to the outer periphery of the lid engagement portion 6. A hinge C is connected to the upper end on the back side of the outer peripheral wall portion 46, and an engagement protrusion 9 is provided at the lower inner periphery for engaging with a mating protrusion 2 of the mouth portion 1 of the container A.

[0044] The outer peripheral wall portion 46 has an upper surface 46a formed at the same height as the upper surface of the upper wall 4 and the bottom surface of the cutout portion 10, and a cutout recess 50 is provided on the pouring side in place of the step recess 15 of the first embodiment, recessed in an arc shape from the center to the left and right in an arc range of 45° each at a distance γ deeper than the distance β of the slit groove 51 on the back side.

[0045] The cutout recess 50 is formed from an outer peripheral surface 50a extending from top to bottom, a curved surface 50b that gently curves from the lower end of the outer peripheral surface 50a toward the outer periphery of the outer peripheral wall portion 46, and a side surface 50c that extends from both the outer peripheral surface 50a and the curved surface 50b toward the outer peripheral side surface of the outer peripheral wall portion 46. The cutout recess 50 may have an inclined surface, or may have a curved surface and an inclined surface in combination.

[0046] Near the left of hinge C of the outer peripheral wall portion 46, an outer peripheral cut-out portion 16 that is approximately V-shaped in a plan view is cut into the outer peripheral surface from the upper surface 46a, leaving a thin-walled bottom wall at the lower end, and at a position corresponding to the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16 of the engaging protrusion 9 on the inner circumference of the outer peripheral wall portion 46, a thin-walled vertical weakened portion 17 is formed.

[0047] On the hinge C side of the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16 on the back side of the outer peripheral wall portion 46, a slit groove 51 is recessed a distance β from the top surface 46a, starting from a position separated by the thin-walled portion on the upper inner peripheral side of the end face 16a, extending circumferentially to the right side surface 50c of the cut-out recess 50, and further from the left side surface 50c of the cut-out recess 50 to the vicinity of the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16. In addition, the top surface 46a of the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16 of the outer peripheral wall portion 46 opposite the hinge C forms a thick-walled portion 19 where the upper part of the outer peripheral wall portion 46 and the lower part of the lid engagement portion 6 are integrally connected.

[0048] A thin-walled lateral weakened portion 53 is formed on the upper inside portion of the bottom surface 52 of the slit groove 51 of the outer peripheral wall portion 46, and the portion outer than the slit groove 51 on the back side of the outer peripheral wall portion 46 forms a back outer wall portion 54 that extends upward from the bottom surface 52 to the upper surface 46a, and a hinge C is connected to a predetermined position on the outer periphery upper end of the back outer wall portion 54.

[0049] The inner upper portion of the outer wall portion 46 is inclined inwardly and upwardly from above the height of the lateral weakened portion 53 to form an abutment surface portion 55 which abuts against the inclined surface 2a of the fitting protrusion 2 when attached to the container A.

[0050] The lid body Da is rotatably attached to the upper outer end of the outer wall portion 46 of the cap body Ba via a hinge C, and is provided with a top wall 30, a side wall 31 extending vertically from the peripheral edge of the top wall 30, and a sealing tube 32 extending vertically from the back surface of the top wall 30 to seal the pouring tube 5. An arc-shaped covering wall 60 is vertically attached to the pouring side outer edge of the lower surface of the side peripheral wall 31, and engages with the cutout recess 50 so that its inner surface covers at least the outer surface 50a of the cutout recess 50 in the outer wall portion 46 of the cap body Ba when the lid is closed.

[0051] Next, the manner of use and the effects of this embodiment will be described. The hinge cap of this embodiment has a covering wall 60 provided on the pouring side outer edge of the underside of the side wall 31 of the lid body Da, which hides the cutout recess 50 in the outer wall portion 46 of the cap body Ba when the lid is closed. Also, when the lid is opened, fingers placed under the knob portion 38 are prevented from hitting and coming into contact with the inside of the lid body Da, thereby keeping the inside of the cap clean.

[0052] The hinge cap of this embodiment is provided with a cutout recess 50 forming a gently curved curved surface 50b on the pouring side of the outer wall portion 46 of the cap body Ba. Therefore, even if liquid drips from the lip portion 5a of the pouring tube 5 in the direction in which the container A is tilted during use into the cutout recess 50 below, the liquid will flow downward due to the inclination of the curved surface 50b, and since the curved surface 50b is a gently curved surface with no unevenness, dirt can be easily wiped off with a tissue or the like.

[0053] Next, a mode in which the hinge cap is separately disposed of after the liquid content in the container A has been completely used will be described. In this case, when the hinge cap is opened and the lid body Da is grasped with the fingers and pulled outward, the rear outer wall portion 54, which is the connecting portion of the outer wall portion 46 to the hinge C, is pulled via the hinge C, and when the connecting vertical weakened portion 17 of the outer wall portion 46 breaks, the horizontal weakened portion 53 is cut in the circumferential direction from the end face 16a side connected to the vertical weakened portion 17, and the part of the outer wall portion 46 below the horizontal weakened portion 53 is separated from the cap body Ba. When the lateral weakened portion 53 passes through the cutout recess 50 and is torn up to just before the thick portion 19, the breakage is stopped and the lower part of the connected outer peripheral wall portion 46 is pulled outward, disengaging the outer peripheral wall portion 46 of the cap body Ba from the mouth portion 1 of the container A. When the cap body Ba is then lifted upward, it is removed from the mouth portion 1 of the container A, and the hinge cap and container A can be disposed of separately. The other effects are the same as those of the first embodiment. EXAMPLES

[0054] Next, a third embodiment in which the cap body B and the lid body D of the first embodiment are modified will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, changed parts are given new reference numerals, and the differences will be mainly described.

[0055] In FIG. 7, A is a container, Bb is a cap body attached to the container A, and Db is a lid body attached to the cap body Bb via a hinge C so as to be openable and closable. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the cap body Bb comprises an attachment portion 65 that is attached to the mouth portion 1 of the container A, an upper wall 4 that extends inward from the inner edge of the attachment portion 65 and seals the opening of the mouth portion 1, a pouring outlet 4a that penetrates the upper wall 4, and a pouring tube 5 that is erected on the upper surface of the upper wall 4 with a diameter slightly wider than the pouring outlet 4a.

[0056] The mounting portion 65 is composed of an annular lid engagement portion 6 that engages with the lid body Db, an inner tube 7 that is suspended from the inner side of the lid engagement portion 6, and an outer peripheral wall portion 66 whose inner upper portion is connected to the outer periphery of the lid engagement portion 6, and a hinge C is connected to the upper end on the back side of the outer peripheral wall portion 66, and an engagement protrusion 9 is provided at the lower inner periphery for engaging with the mating protrusion 2 of the mouth portion 1 of the container A.

[0057] The upper part of the outer peripheral wall portion 66 has a stepped recess 70 on the pouring side, recessed in an arc shape from above to a depth of a distance β over an arc range of approximately 180°, and on the remaining back side, the upper surface 66a is flush with the upper surface of the upper wall 4 and the bottom surface of the cutout portion 10, and a hinge C is connected to the upper end of the outer periphery. The stepped recess 70 is formed with a flat surface 70a that is recessed a distance β from the top surface 66a, and inclined side surfaces 70c that incline from both sides of the end of the flat surface 70a toward both sides of the top surface 66a.

[0058] An approximately V-shaped outer peripheral cut-out portion 16 is cut into the outer peripheral wall portion 66 near the left of the hinge C, and a thin-walled vertical weakened portion 17 is formed at a position corresponding to the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16 of the engaging protrusion 9 on the inner circumference of the outer peripheral wall portion 66.

[0059] On the back side of the outer peripheral wall portion 66, a recess is formed starting from a position separated by the thin-walled portion at the upper part of the inner peripheral side of the end face 16a, extending circumferentially to the inclined side surface 70c on the right end side of the step recess 70, and further from the inclined side surface 70c at the end of the step recess 70 to the vicinity of the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16, and a slit groove 71 is formed at a distance β from the upper surface 66a whose bottom surface 72 is flush with the flat surface 70a of the step recess 70, and the upper surface 66a opposite the hinge C of the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16 of the outer peripheral wall portion 66 forms a thick-walled portion 19 where the upper part of the outer peripheral wall portion 66 and the lower part of the lid engagement portion 6 are integrally connected. In addition, the portion of the outer peripheral wall portion 66 outside the slit groove 71 on the rear side constitutes a rear outer wall portion 73 that extends upward from the bottom surface 72 of the slit groove 71 to the upper surface 66a, and a hinge C is connected to a predetermined position at the upper end of the outer periphery of the rear outer wall portion 73.

[0060] The outer wall portion 66 has a thin-walled lateral weakened portion 74 on the inner upper portion of the bottom surface 72 of the slit groove 71 from the end face 16a to the center of the hinge C, and an arc-shaped connecting portion 75 that slopes upward and inward is provided on the inner edge connecting the center of the hinge C of the bottom surface 72 of the slit groove 71 to the flat surface 70a of the step recess 70 (a 270° arc range from the center of the hinge C to the right).

[0061] At the upper inner periphery of the outer wall portion 66, from the left side to the center of the back side, a contact surface portion 76 is formed which slopes inward and upward from above the lateral weakening portion 74 and abuts against the inclined surface 2a of the fitting protrusion 2 when attached to container A, and from the center of the back side to the right side, through the pouring side to the left side, a parallel surface 77 is provided which slopes inward and upward parallel to the outer surface of the outer connecting portion 75 and is formed so as to move away from the inclined surface 2a of the fitting protrusion 2 when attached to container A, and the portion between the parallel surface 77 and the outer surface of the connecting portion 75 is thin-walled to form a connection weakened portion 78. Moreover, the lateral weakened portion 74 and the joint weakened portion 78 are formed so as to be continuous with each other.

[0062] The lid body Db has an arc-shaped covering wall 80 vertically attached to the pouring side outer edge of the underside of the side wall 31, so that when the lid is closed, its underside is close to or abuts the flat surface 70a of the step recess 70 in the outer wall portion 66 of the cap body Bb and the outer edges of the inclined side surfaces 70c on both sides.

[0063] Next, the manner of use and the effects of this embodiment will be described. The hinge cap of this embodiment has a covering wall 80 provided on the pouring side outer edge of the underside of the side wall 31 of the lid body Db, which hides the step recess 70 of the outer wall portion 66 of the cap body Bb when the lid is closed, and prevents fingers hanging under the knob portion 38 from hitting and coming into contact with the inside of the lid body Db when the lid is opened, thereby keeping the inside of the cap clean.

[0064] The hinge cap of this embodiment has a step recess 70 formed with a flat surface 70a and a connecting portion 75 on the pouring side of the outer wall portion 66 of the cap body Bb. Therefore, even if liquid drips from the lip portion 5a of the pouring tube 5 into the lower step recess 70 when the container A is tilted during use, the liquid will flow to the flat surface 70a due to the inclination of the connecting portion 75, and since the flat surface 70a is a flat surface without any bumps or irregularities, dirt can be easily wiped off with tissue or the like.

[0065] Next, a mode in which the hinge cap is separately disposed of after the liquid content in the container A has been completely used will be described. In this case, when the hinge cap is opened and the lid body Db is grasped with the fingers and pulled outward, the rear outer wall portion 73, which is the connecting portion of the outer peripheral wall portion 66 to the hinge C, is pulled via the hinge C, and when the connecting vertical weakened portion 17 of the outer peripheral wall portion 66 breaks, the horizontal weakened portion 74 is cut in the circumferential direction from the end face 16a side connected to the vertical weakened portion 17, and the part of the outer peripheral wall portion 66 below the horizontal weakened portion 74 is separated from the cap body Bb.

[0066] Next, when the lateral weakened portion 74 is completely broken, the continuous connection weakened portion 78 breaks from the center of the hinge C, and finally passes through the step recess 70 and is stopped by the thick portion 19. Furthermore, when the broken outer peripheral wall portion 66 is pulled, the thick portion 19 of the connected outer peripheral wall portion 66 is pulled outward, disengaging the engagement between the engaging protrusion 9 of the outer peripheral wall portion 66 of the cap body Bb and the mating protrusion 2 of the mouth portion 1 of the container A, and when it is raised in this state, the upper side and its inner side of the outer peripheral wall portion 66 connected by the thick portion 19 are lifted and the cap body Bb is removed from the mouth portion 1 of the container A, so that the hinge cap and container A can be disposed of separately.

[0067] In the hinge cap of this embodiment, when the connection weakened portion 78 is cut, the inner parallel surface 77 forming the connection weakened portion 78 moves away from the inclined surface 2a of the mating protrusion 2 of the container A, so that there is less resistance to cutting and the hinge cap is easier to break. The other effects are the same as those of the first embodiment. EXAMPLES

[0068] Next, a fourth embodiment in which the cap body B and the lid body D of the first embodiment are modified will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, changed parts are given new reference numerals, and the differences will be mainly described.

[0069] In FIG. 9, A is a container, Bc is a cap body attached to the container A, and Dc is a lid body attached to the cap body Bc via a hinge C so as to be openable and closable. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the cap body Bc comprises an attachment portion 85 that is attached to the mouth portion 1 of the container A, an upper wall 4 that extends inward from the inner edge of the attachment portion 85 and seals the opening of the mouth portion 1, a pouring outlet 4a that penetrates the upper wall 4, and a pouring tube 5 that is erected on the upper surface of the upper wall 4 with a diameter slightly wider than the pouring outlet 4a.

[0070] The mounting portion 85 is composed of an annular lid engagement portion 6 that engages with the lid body Dc, an inner tube 7 that is suspended from the inner side of the lid engagement portion 6, and an outer peripheral wall portion 86 whose inner upper portion is connected to the outer periphery of the lid engagement portion 6. A hinge C is connected to the upper end on the back side of the outer peripheral wall portion 86, and an engagement protrusion 9 is provided at the lower inner periphery for engaging with the mating protrusion 2 of the mouth 1 of the container A.

[0071] At the upper part of the outer peripheral wall portion 86, on the pouring side, there is a stepped recess 90 recessed from the outer periphery in an arc shape over a range of approximately 180°, a distance α from above, and on the remaining back side, the upper surface 86a is flush with the upper surface of the upper wall 4 and the bottom surface of the cutout portion 10, and a hinge C is connected to the upper end of the outer periphery. The stepped recess 90 is formed with a flat surface 90a that is recessed from the top surface 86a by a distance α, and inclined side surfaces 90c that are inclined from both sides of the end of the flat surface 90a toward both sides of the top surface 86a.

[0072] An approximately V-shaped outer peripheral cutout 16 is cut into the outer peripheral wall portion 86 near the left of the hinge C, and a thin-walled vertical weakened portion 17 is formed at a position corresponding to the outer peripheral cutout 16 of the engaging protrusion 9 on the inner circumference of the outer peripheral wall portion 86.

[0073] On the back side of the outer peripheral wall portion 86, a recess is formed starting from a position separated by the thin-walled portion at the upper part of the inner peripheral side of the end face 16a, extending circumferentially to the inclined side surface 90c on the right end side of the step recess 90, and further from the inclined side surface 90c at the end of the step recess 90 to the vicinity of the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16, and a slit groove 91 is formed at a distance α from the upper surface 86a whose bottom surface 92 is flush with the flat surface 90a of the step recess 90, and the upper surface 86a opposite the hinge C of the outer peripheral cut-out portion 16 of the outer peripheral wall portion 86 forms a thick-walled portion 19 where the upper part of the outer peripheral wall portion 86 and the lower part of the lid engagement portion 6 are integrally connected. In addition, the portion of the outer peripheral wall portion 86 outer than the slit groove 91 on the rear side constitutes a rear outer wall portion 93 extending upward from the bottom surface 92 of the slit groove 91 to the upper surface 86a, and a hinge C is connected to a predetermined position at the upper end of the outer periphery of the rear outer wall portion 93.

[0074] The outer peripheral wall portion 86 has a thin-walled lateral weakened portion 94 on the inner peripheral upper portion of the bottom surface 92 of the slit groove 91 from the end face 16a side to the center of the hinge C, and the inner peripheral edge connecting the center of the hinge C of the bottom surface 92 of the slit groove 91 to the flat surface 90a of the step recess 90 (a 270° arc range from the center of the hinge C to the right side) is provided with an arc-shaped connecting portion 95 that slopes upward toward the inside to the height of the upper surface 86a.

[0075] An upward recess 96 is recessed into the upper inner periphery of the outer wall portion 86 on the outer peripheral edge of the lower surface of the lid engagement portion 6, and the area between the inner surface of the upward recess 96 and the outer surface of the connecting portion 95 is thinned to form a connection weakening portion 97. Moreover, the lateral weakened portion 94 and the joint weakened portion 97 are formed so as to be continuous with each other.

[0076] The lid body Dc has an arc-shaped covering wall 100 vertically attached to the pouring side outer edge of the underside of the side wall 31, so that when the lid is closed, its underside is close to or abuts the flat surface 90a of the step recess 90 in the outer wall portion 86 of the cap body Bc and the outer edges of the inclined side surfaces 90c on both sides.

[0077] Next, the manner of use and the effects of this embodiment will be described. The hinge cap of this embodiment has a covering wall 100 provided on the pouring side outer edge of the underside of the side wall 31 of the lid body Dc, which hides the step recess 90 in the outer wall portion 86 of the cap body Bc when the lid is closed.In addition, when the lid is opened, fingers placed under the knob portion 38 are prevented from hitting and coming into contact with the inside of the lid body Dc, thereby keeping the inside of the cap clean.

[0078] The hinge cap of this embodiment has a step recess 90 formed with a flat surface 90a and a connecting portion 95 on the pouring side of the outer wall portion 86 of the cap body Bc. Therefore, even if liquid drips from the lip portion 5a of the pouring tube 5 into the lower step recess 90 when the container A is tilted during use, the liquid will flow to the flat surface 90a due to the inclination of the connecting portion 95, and since the flat surface 90a is a flat surface without any bumps or irregularities, dirt can be easily wiped off with tissue or the like.

[0079] Next, a mode in which the hinge cap is separately disposed of after the liquid content in the container A has been completely used will be described. In this case, when the hinge cap is opened and the lid body Dc is grasped with the fingers and pulled outward, the back outer wall portion 93, which is the connecting portion of the outer peripheral wall portion 86 to the hinge C, is pulled via the hinge C, and when the connecting vertical weakened portion 17 of the outer peripheral wall portion 86 breaks, the horizontal weakened portion 94 is cut in the circumferential direction from the end face 16a side connected to the vertical weakened portion 17, and the part of the outer peripheral wall portion 86 below the horizontal weakened portion 94 is separated from the cap body Bc.

[0080] Next, when the lateral weakened portion 94 is completely broken, the continuous connection weakened portion 97 is broken from the center of the hinge C, and finally passes through the step recess 90 and is stopped by the thick portion 19. Furthermore, when the broken outer peripheral wall portion 86 is pulled, the thick portion 19 of the connected outer peripheral wall portion 86 is pulled outward, disengaging the engagement between the engaging protrusion 9 of the outer peripheral wall portion 86 of the cap body Bc and the mating protrusion 2 of the mouth portion 1 of the container A, and when it is raised in this state, the upper side and its inner side of the outer peripheral wall portion 86 connected by the thick portion 19 are lifted and the cap body Bc is removed from the mouth portion 1 of the container A, so that the hinge cap and container A can be disposed of separately.

[0081] In the hinge cap of this embodiment, when the connection weakened portion 97 is cut, the upward recess 96 on the inner surface of said portion is completely separated from the inclined surface 2a of the mating protrusion 2 of the container A, so there is less resistance to cutting and it is easier to break. The other effects are the same as those of the first embodiment. [Industrial Applicability]

[0082] The hinge cap of the present invention is suitable as a hinge cap for containers for storing food, etc., because even if the liquid drips onto the pouring side of the cap body when the contents are poured, the dripped liquid can be easily wiped off, and it can be easily separated from the container when the container is disposed of. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] A container B, Ba, Bb, Bc Cap body C Hinge D, Da, Db, Dc lid body a Seal part b Temporary seal c space α, β, γ distance 1 Mouth 2 Mating protrusions 2a Slope 3, 45, 65, 85 mounting part 4 Upper wall 4a spout 5 Pour tube 5a Lip 6 Lid engaging part (base wall part) 7 Inner cylinder 8, 46, 66, 86 outer wall 8a, 46a, 66a, 86a top 9 Engagement protrusion 10 Cutout 11 Lid engaging protrusion 12 Rear protrusion 13 Locking ridge 15, 70, 90 step recess 15a, 70a, 90a flat surface 15b Slope 15c, 70c, 90c sloped sides 16 Outer periphery notch 16a End face 17 Vertical weakened area (longitudinal tear line) 18, 51, 71, 91 Slit groove 19 Thick part 20, 20a, 20b, 20c, 52, 72, 92 bottom 21 Lower horizontal weakened area (circumferential tear line) 22, 75, 95 connection part 23, 54, 73, 93 Rear outer wall 24, 55, 76 Contact surface part 25, 77 Parallel planes 26 Inclined joint weakened area (circumferential tear line) 27, 96 Upward recess 28 Upper horizontal weakened area (circumferential tear line) 30 Top Wall 31 Side Wall 32 Closed Envelope 32a Lower seal tube 33 Thin section 35 Engagement recess 35a Downward Face 36 Locking part 37 Locking convex piece 38 Knob 39, 60, 80, 100 coated wall 50 Notch recess (step recess) 50a Outer surface 50b Curved surface 50c side 53, 74, 94 Lateral weakened area (circumferential tear line) 78, 97 Weakened joints (circumferential tear lines)

Claims

1. A hinge cap including a cap body that is attached to a container and a lid body that is attached to the cap body via a hinge, The cap body has an inner tube and an outer peripheral wall portion vertically disposed across the mouth of the container, and a base wall portion connected to the inner tube and the outer peripheral wall portion, The outer peripheral wall portion has a stepped recess in a predetermined arc range on the pouring side, where a flat surface is formed at a predetermined distance below the upper surface on the hinge side, a rear outer wall portion erected in an arc range other than the stepped recess along the outer circumferential direction on the hinge side, and a slit groove formed between the rear outer wall portion and the base wall portion, the bottom surface of which is continuous with the flat surface of the stepped recess, The hinge cap is characterized in that the lid body has a top wall, a side wall extending vertically from the periphery of the top wall, and a covering wall extending vertically from the pouring side of the side wall to cover the stepped recess.

2. 2. The hinge cap according to claim 1, wherein the depth of the slit groove from the upper surface of the rear outer wall portion gradually decreases from the hinge side toward the pouring side.

3. 2. The hinge cap according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the slit groove is flush with the flat surface of the stepped recess.

4. A hinge cap as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the outer wall portion has a separation mechanism consisting of a vertical tear line formed vertically from the vicinity of the hinge toward the bottom surface of the slit groove, and a circumferential tear line formed from the vertical tear line along the bottom surface of the slit groove.

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