cap

Abstract

To provide a cap that enables a film to be joined to a cap body and an upper lid, and a joining method therefor.SOLUTION: A cap 10 has a cap body 20 which is fitted to a container 90 and an upper lid 30 which can be freely opened from and closed to the cap body 20. The cap body 20 comprises a pour-out cylinder 22 for pouring out the contents of the container 90, and has a sealing projection part 28 formed at an inner periphery of the pour-out cylinder 22. The upper lid 30 comprises an inner ring 31 which can be fitted internally to the pour-out cylinder 22 in a sealed state. A film 40 for sealing the part of the pour-out cylinder 22 of the container 90 which is not opened yet is joined between the inner ring 31 and sealing projection part 28. The film 40 is peeled off from the sealing projection part 28 when the upper lid 30 is opened for the first time, and then taken into the upper lid 30, and the sealing projection part 28 elastically deforms in a joining direction so that the film 40 is joined over the entire circumference while pressed without any gap when joined.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap for attachment to a container. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a cap for covering a container. The cap shown in Patent Document 1 has an upper lid connected to one side of the peripheral wall of the cap body via a hinge so as to be openable and closable, and a sealing plate on the inside of the pouring tube of the cap body is opened by a pull ring. A barrier laminate film is heat-sealed to the underside of the sealing plate, which seals the container to which the cap of Patent Document 1 is attached together with the sealing plate. However, when the cap shown in Patent Document 1 is initially opened, the upper lid is opened from the cap body, and the pull ring is pulled up to open the sealing plate from the cap body, so that two operations (opening the upper lid and opening the sealing plate) must be performed to initially open the cap, making the initial operation of opening the cap troublesome.

[0003] For this reason, a cap has been proposed in which a film is welded under pressure between the pouring tube of the cap body and the top lid to seal the pouring tube. With this cap, when the top lid is first opened, the film is peeled off from the spout and taken into the top lid, opening the container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP2002-362608A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the cap proposed above, the top lid is closed on the cap body, the film is heated, and the top lid is pressurized, so that the film is welded in a pressurized state. However, when the film is welded, a small gap is generated at least between the film and the spout or between the film and the top lid, which may result in the required bonding strength not being obtained and the seal between the spout of the cap body and the top lid being insufficient.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cap that can stably bond a film to a cap body or an upper lid, and a bonding method therefor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the cap of the present invention has a cap body which is attached to a container and has a pouring tube for pouring out the contents of the container, and a top lid which is freely opened and closed with respect to the cap body and has an inner ring which can be fitted in the pouring tube in a sealed state, and a ring-shaped sealing protrusion is formed on the inner circumference of the pouring tube of the cap body, The above A film for sealing the pouring tube in the container before opening is bonded between the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion, and this film is peeled off from the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion and taken into the upper lid when the upper lid is first opened, and the sealing protrusion is elastically deformable in the bonding direction so that the film is bonded in a state where it is pressed without any gaps around the entire circumference during the bonding. The sealing protrusion is elastically deformed downward, so that a required contact area is ensured between the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion. Its main feature is that

[0008] With this configuration, the lower end surface of the inner ring presses the film against the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion, and at this time, the inner ring elastically deforms the sealing protrusion in the pressing direction of the inner ring, i.e., in the joining direction, and a reaction force against the joining direction is generated in the sealing protrusion. As a result, the film is joined to each of the inner ring and the sealing protrusion while being pressed with no gaps between them.

[0009] In the cap of the present invention, the sealing protrusion is formed so that the radially inner portion is inclined upward. I will It is preferable that the sensor is configured as follows.

[0010] With this configuration, the lower end surface of the inner ring is easily pressed against the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion, and a larger reaction force is generated in the sealing protrusion, so that the film is bonded to each of the inner ring and the sealing protrusion with no gaps between them under pressure.

[0011] It is preferable that the cap of the present invention is configured such that the sealing protrusion is formed so that the radially outer portion is thinner than the radially inner portion, so that it is elastically deformed downward by the inner ring when joined.

[0012] With this configuration, the sealing protrusion can be elastically deformed more easily, compared to a sealing protrusion that has no thickness difference over its entire area.

[0013] The method for joining a film in a cap of the present invention comprises the steps of: attaching a cap body to a container and having a pouring tube for pouring out the contents of the container; attaching an upper lid that can be opened and closed relative to the cap body and has an inner ring that can be fitted in the pouring tube in a sealed state to the cap body; using a cap body in which a ring-shaped sealing protrusion is formed on the inner circumference of the pouring tube; The above a film for sealing the portion of the pouring tube in the container before opening is disposed between the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion, the film being peeled off from the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion and taken into the upper lid when the upper lid is first opened; The above The film is joined under pressure between the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion, and the sealing protrusion is elastically deformed in the joining direction so that the film is joined under pressure without any gaps over the entire circumference. The sealing protrusion is elastically deformed downward, so that a required contact area is ensured between the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion. Its main feature is that

[0014] According to this method, when the upper cover is attached, the film is pressed against the sealing protrusion by the lower end surface of the inner ring, and the sealing protrusion is elastically deformed in the joining direction of the inner ring by the inner ring, and a reaction force against the joining direction is generated in the sealing protrusion. At this time, the film is pressed by the sealing protrusion and the inner ring. By being pressed in this way, the film is joined in a pressurized state between the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion without any gaps, and a reliable seal can be achieved. Therefore, the required joining action can be exerted without using a separate member for applying a pressurizing force to the entire area sandwiched between the inner ring and the sealing protrusion. As a result, for example, when joining a film, a separate member for pressurization as described above is usually required, but according to the present invention, the film can be joined without using such a member. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the cap and the method for joining a film to the cap of the present invention, the sealing protrusion undergoes elastic deformation due to pressure during joining, so that the film can be joined to the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion while being pressurized without any gaps all around. This allows the film to be joined stably and ensures sufficient sealing performance before the top lid is opened for the first time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cap in a closed state according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2(a) is a plan view of the first embodiment of the present invention in an open state, and FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2(a). [Diagram 3] 2(a) and (b) are enlarged views of the vicinity of the film in FIG. 1 in the cap open state and the cap closed state, respectively. [Figure 4]FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the film in a cross section of a cap in a closed state in a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Next, two types of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. First, the first embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, a cap 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to a mouth 91 of a container 90 for holding liquid such as a beverage, covers the mouth 91, and prevents the liquid inside the container 90 from leaking out to the outside.

[0018] The cap 10 is composed of a cap body 20 that is attached to the mouth 91 of a container 90, and a top lid 30 that is attached to the cap body 20 so as to be freely opened and closed by a deformable hinge 11. As a result, the top lid 30 can be placed in a predetermined open position and a predetermined closed position by deforming the hinge 11. Here, Fig. 1 shows a state in which the top lid 30 is placed in a predetermined closed position, i.e., a closed state. Also, Fig. 2 shows a state in which the top lid 30 is placed in a predetermined open position, i.e., an open state.

[0019] The cap 10 is formed by injection molding of a resin such as plastic, and the cap body 20, the top cover 30, and the hinge 11 are integrally formed.

[0020] The cap body 20 has a pouring tube 22 in which a pouring outlet 21 for pouring the contents of the container 90 is formed, a top surface portion 23 which is approximately circular in plan view and from which the pouring tube 22 protrudes upward, an inner cylindrical portion 24 which extends upward in a cylindrical shape from the outer periphery of the top surface portion 23 and fits into the inner circumferential surface of the mouth portion 91 of the container 90, an upper wall portion 25 which extends radially outward from the outer periphery of the inner cylindrical portion 24, a cap body outer cylindrical portion 26 which extends downward in a cylindrical shape from the outer periphery of the upper wall portion 25 and fits into the outer circumferential surface of the mouth portion 91 of the container 90, and a protruding piece portion 27 which extends upward in a cylindrical shape from a point near the outer periphery of the upper wall portion 25 and is engageable with a lower edge inner peripheral portion 34a of the upper lid outer peripheral cylindrical portion 34 described later.

[0021] The injection tube 22 has an annular sealing protrusion 28 formed on its inner circumference. The sealing protrusion 28 is inclined so that the radially inner portion faces upward. The sealing protrusion 28 also has an annular groove 28b that opens downward at the lower corner. That is, the radially outer portion 28c of the sealing protrusion 28 is formed thinner than the radially inner portion. As a result, the sealing protrusion 28 elastically deforms downward when pressed from above by the upper lid 30 in order to weld the film 40 described later to the sealing protrusion upper end surface 28a while being pressed against it. The inner diameter of the sealing protrusion 28 is set to an inner diameter that does not make the bonding strength of the film 40 welded to the sealing protrusion upper end surface 28a too high. Furthermore, the spout 21, which is the inner circumference of the pouring tube 22 above the sealing protrusion 28, can fit into the side surface portion 31b of the inner ring 31 of the upper lid 30 in the closed state, providing the required sealing performance. The spout 21 is formed so that its inner diameter gradually increases from the sealing protrusion 28 side toward the tip side, allowing liquid to be poured out smoothly.

[0022] The top lid 30 has an inner ring 31 that can be fitted into the pouring outlet 21 of the pouring tube 22 in a sealed state, a top plate portion 32 that is approximately circular in plan view from which the inner ring 31 protrudes downward, and the aforementioned top lid outer peripheral cylindrical portion 34 that hangs down in a cylindrical shape from the outer periphery of the top plate portion 32 and engages with the protruding piece portion 27 and the inner peripheral portion 34a of the lower edge portion.

[0023] The inner ring 31 is a cylindrical member. In the closed state, the inner ring 31 is configured such that the inner ring lower end surface 31a presses the film 40 against the sealing protrusion upper end surface 28a over its entire circumference, and the side surface portion 31b abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the spout 21. In the closed state, the inner ring 31 seals between the pouring tube 22 and the upper lid 30 by the abutment portion between the side surface portion 31b and the inner peripheral surface of the spout 21.

[0024] The cap body outer circumferential cylindrical portion 26 of the cap body 20 is connected to the upper lid outer circumferential cylindrical portion 34 of the upper lid 30 by a hinge 11. The cap 10 is closed by deforming the hinge 11, fitting the inner ring 31 of the upper lid 30 inside the pouring tube 22 of the cap body 20, and engaging the upper lid outer circumferential cylindrical portion 34 with the protruding piece portion 27 of the cap body 20. Here, the lower edge inner circumferential portion 34a of the upper lid outer circumferential cylindrical portion 34 has an annular protrusion shape extending inward, and the protruding piece portion 27 has an annular protrusion shape extending outward. Therefore, in order to engage the upper lid outer circumferential cylindrical portion 34 with the protruding piece portion 27, the lower edge inner circumferential portion 34a of the upper lid outer circumferential cylindrical portion 34, which is disposed above the protruding piece portion 27, is deformed so as to reduce the protruding piece portion 27 in the inner circumferential direction, and is made to ride over the protruding piece portion 27 and is disposed below the protruding piece portion 27. With this configuration, the closed state is maintained unless a force is applied to the top lid 30 in a direction to open the lid, causing the protruding piece portion 27 to deform and shrink in the inward circumferential direction.

[0025] The film 40 that seals the injection tube 22 is a film-like part, and is composed of a base material layer and resin layers provided on both sides of the base material layer. Here, a metal layer is used as the base material layer. However, the base material layer is not limited to a metal layer, and other layers such as a barrier layer that has a barrier property that blocks the passage of air between the inside and outside of the container can also be used. In this way, the film becomes a barrier film that has a barrier property. In addition, one of the resin layers provided on both sides is composed of an easy-peel layer that has a lower bonding strength with the cap 10 compared to the other resin layer. In the closed state, the easy-peel layer of the film 40 is welded to the upper end surface 28a of the sealing protrusion of the cap body 20, and at the same time, the other resin layer is welded to the lower end surface 31a of the inner ring of the upper lid 30, so that the entire opening on the inside of the sealing protrusion 28 is covered. The film 40 is welded under pressure to the upper end surface 28a of the sealing protrusion and the lower end surface 31a of the inner ring using the method described below, so that when the top lid 30 is opened, which involves peeling off the film 40, the film 40 peels off from the upper end surface 28a of the sealing protrusion to which it is welded by its easy-peel layer, and is taken up by the lower end surface 31a of the inner ring.

[0026] A method of welding the film 40 while it is being pressed will be described. As shown in FIG. 3(a), the film 40 is placed on the upper end surface 28a of the sealing convex portion, and the upper lid 30 is closed as shown in FIG. 3(b). As a result, the lower end surface 31a of the inner ring presses the film 40 against the upper end surface 28a of the sealing convex portion. The film 40 is pressurized from above and below in the entire area sandwiched between the lower end surface 31a of the inner ring and the upper end surface 28a of the sealing convex portion. After that, the film 40 is heated by electromagnetic induction heating using an electromagnetic induction welder (not shown), and the resin layers on both sides of the film 40 are welded to the lower end surface 31a of the inner ring and the upper end surface 28a of the sealing convex portion, which are opposed to each other. By welding the film 40 in this way, the film 40 can seal the pouring tube 22 without any gaps leading to the outside of the container 90 until it is opened.

[0027] The operation of the above-mentioned configuration will be described below. When the lid is closed to weld the film 40 under pressure, the inner ring 31 presses downward the sealing protrusion 28, which is inclined so that the radial inner portion faces upward. The sealing protrusion 28 has a thin outer portion 28c, and is structured to easily elastically deform downward. Therefore, the above-mentioned pressing of the inner ring 31 causes the sealing protrusion 28 to elastically deform downward. As a result, the film 40 is pressed against the sealing protrusion 28 by the inner ring 31 from above, and receives a reaction force generated in the sealing protrusion 28 by the above-mentioned pressing from below. That is, the film 40 is pressed from above and below in the entire area sandwiched between the inner ring 31 and the sealing protrusion 28. Thereafter, the film 40 is heated to weld the resin layers on both sides of the film 40 to the opposing sealing protrusion upper end surface 28a and the inner ring lower end surface 31a. As a result, the film 40 is uniformly welded in a state where it is pressed without any gaps over the entire area sandwiched between the inner ring 31 and the sealing protrusion 28 .

[0028] Furthermore, when welding the film 40 while it is being pressed using a normal electromagnetic induction heating method, it is necessary to apply pressure from the outside to the top lid 30 in the welding direction. However, when the lid is closed as described above, the film 40 is pressed from above and below over the entire area sandwiched between the inner ring 31 and the sealing protrusion 28, so that welding can be performed without the need for external pressure.

[0029] On the other hand, a case where the sealing protrusion 28 does not elastically deform will be described. In such a case, even if the inner ring 31 presses the film 40 against the sealing protrusion 28 in the closed state, the sealing protrusion 28 does not substantially elastically deform in the pressing direction, so good pressing over the entire circumference is not possible. In order to perform good pressing over the entire circumference, it is necessary to use a separate member for applying a large pressure force between the inner ring 31 and the sealing protrusion 28. Even if the above-mentioned member for pressing is used, depending on the manufacturing accuracy of the cap 10, for example, the inner ring 31 cannot press the sealing protrusion 28 over the entire area facing each other, and the required pressure force may not be applied over the entire area sandwiched between the inner ring 31 and the sealing protrusion 28. And even if the film 40 is welded in this state, the film 40 does not obtain the required bonding strength, the welding becomes unstable, and the film 40 does not seal the pouring tube 22 sufficiently.

[0030] Furthermore, when the lid is closed as described above, the downward pressing of the inner ring 31 generates an upward reaction force on the sealing protrusion 28. This reaction force assists the opening of the top lid 30 and the opening operation when opening and closing the top lid 30 for the second time and thereafter. This makes it easier to open the top lid 30 compared to conventional products.

[0031] A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig. 4. In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the sealing protrusion 28 does not include annular groove 28b at its lower corner, and is configured to have the same thickness from the outer portion 28c to the inner diameter. Note that the structure of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, including the fact that the radially inner portion of the sealing protrusion 28 is inclined upward.

[0032] In the second embodiment, when the lid is closed to weld the film 40 under pressure, the inner ring 31 presses the film 40 against the sealing protrusion 28 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the sealing protrusion 28 elastically deforms, so that the film 40 is pressed from above and below over the entire area sandwiched between the inner ring 31 and the sealing protrusion 28. However, the manner in which the sealing protrusion 28 elastically deforms is different from that in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the thickness is the same from the outer portion 28c of the sealing protrusion 28 to the inner diameter, while in the first embodiment, the outer portion 28c is thinner than the inner diameter side of the sealing protrusion 28. Therefore, the downward elastic deformation of the inner diameter portion of the sealing protrusion 28 is smaller in the second embodiment. However, in the second embodiment, the film 40 is pressed from above and below by the inner ring 31 and the sealing protrusion 28, so that stable welding can be performed as in the first embodiment.

[0033] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the forms to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, which is that the sealing protrusion 28 undergoes the required elastic deformation in the joining direction of the inner ring 31.

[0034] For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the cap 10 is formed by connecting the cap body 20 and the top lid 30 by a hinge 11, but the cap may be formed by separating the cap body 20 and the top lid 30 without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0035] Furthermore, for example, the cap may include a spout having a pouring tube ("an example of a cap body") and a rotatable upper lid for opening and closing the pouring tube.

[0036] In the embodiment of the present invention, a method of joining the film 40 to the inner ring 31 and the sealing protrusion 28 has been described in which the film is heated and welded, which is a type of joining, but the joining method is not limited to the above method, and for example, it is also possible to use an adhesive instead of a resin layer and perform the bonding at room temperature. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10 Cap 20 Cap body 22 Pour tube 28 Sealing protrusion 28a Upper end surface of sealing protrusion 28b Groove 28c outer part 30 Top lid 31 Inner Ring 31a Inner ring bottom surface 40 Film 90 containers

Claims

1. The cap has a cap body which is attached to the container and has a pouring tube for pouring out the contents of the container, and a top lid which is freely opened and closed with respect to the cap body and has an inner ring which can be fitted in the pouring tube in a sealed state, A ring-shaped sealing protrusion is formed on the inner periphery of the pouring tube of the cap body, A film for sealing the portion of the pouring tube in the container before opening is joined between the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion, This film is peeled off from the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion and is incorporated into the top cover when the top cover is first opened, the sealing protrusion is elastically deformable in a joining direction so that the film is joined in a pressurized state without any gaps over the entire periphery during the joining; The sealing protrusion is elastically deformed downward, A cap characterized in that a required contact area is ensured between the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion, and between the film and the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion.

2. 2. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the sealing protrusion is formed so that a radially inner portion thereof is inclined upward.

3. The cap according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sealing protrusion is configured such that a radially outer portion is thinner than a radially inner portion, so that the sealing protrusion is elastically deformed downward by the inner ring when joined.

4. A cap body is attached to a container and has a pouring tube for pouring the contents of the container. When an upper lid is attached to the cap body, the upper lid is openable and closable with respect to the cap body and has an inner ring that can be fitted in the pouring tube in a sealed state, The cap body is formed with a ring-shaped sealing protrusion on the inner circumference of the pouring tube, A film is disposed between the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion, the film sealing the portion of the pouring tube in the container before opening, the film being peeled off from the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion and taken into the upper lid when the upper lid is first opened; the film is joined under pressure between the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion, and at that time, the sealing protrusion is elastically deformed in the joining direction so that the film is joined under pressure without any gaps over the entire circumference; The sealing protrusion is elastically deformed downward, A method for joining a cap body and an upper lid for a container, characterized in that a required contact area is ensured between the lower end surface of the inner ring and the upper end surface of the sealing protrusion in the film.

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