1 Piece Cap

Abstract

To provide a novel one piece cap capable of preventing the breakage of a strap band 6 as much as possible even when an upper lid 8 is turned in the lid opening direction beyond a lid-opened state where engaging means 74 formed on an attachment wall 4 side and an engaged piece 76 formed on the upper lid 8 side are engaged.SOLUTION: In one piece cap of a container, a notch 78 is formed in a required angle area including an engaged piece 76 in the circumferential direction at the outer peripheral edge of a top surface wall 48 or the upper end of a skirt wall 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a one-piece cap that is attached to the mouth and neck of a container. [Background technology]

[0002] One-piece caps, which consist of a hollow cylindrical mounting wall that is attached to the mouth and neck of a container by screw engagement or fitting, and a top lid that is hingedly connected to this mounting wall, are widely used as caps for containers that hold various contents, such as beverages and medicines.

[0003] In this type of one-piece cap, the top lid is hinged to the mounting wall, so it can be opened and closed by rotating the top lid. Therefore, when rotating the top lid in the opening direction to remove the contents, it is necessary to hold the open top lid so that it does not close.

[0004] In order to maintain the top lid in an open state, the one-piece cap of Patent Document 1 is provided with a locking piece 4 that extends downward from the outer surface of the skirt wall near the hinge band 3 of the top lid. When the top lid is opened to a certain extent, the locking piece 4 elastically climbs over the periphery of the upper end of the mounting wall, preventing the top lid from pivoting in the closing direction.

[0005] Patent Document 2 also discloses a one-piece cap, which has a locking piece 16 extending downward from the lower end of the skirt wall of the top lid near the hinge band 13 of the top lid. Therefore, in Patent Document 2, when the top lid is opened to a certain extent, the locking piece 16 reverses and abuts against the outer surface of the mouth and neck of the container, preventing the top lid from pivoting in the closing direction.

[0006] In both Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the top lid is opened to remove the contents, the top lid does not rotate in the closing direction, so the contents can be removed without the top lid getting in the way.

[0007] On the other hand, Patent Document 3 discloses a two-piece cap, not a one-piece cap, that includes a container body 10 that is attached to the mouth and neck of a container, and a cap body 4 that is detachably screwed onto the container body 10, and this cap body 4 is pivotably attached via a connecting piece 3 (hinge band) to a ring body 2 that is rotatably attached to the outside of the container body 10. To remove the contents from this two-piece cap, the cap body 4 is rotated and raised relative to the container body 10, and then rotated around the connecting piece (hinge band) as a fulcrum to expose the removal opening formed in the container body 10, and then the container body 10 is tilted together with the mouth and neck of the container. In such a two-piece cap, an engaging piece 47 extending downward is provided near the connecting piece 3 (hinge band) of the cap body 4, and when the cap body 4 is opened, the engaging piece 47 engages with a screw protrusion provided on the container body 10, thereby preventing the cap body 4 from rotating in the closing and opening directions, and allowing the contents to be removed without the cap body 4 getting in the way. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Jikko No. 57-39330 [Patent Document 2] Jikko No. 54-34843 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-230823 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, in the one-piece caps of Patent Documents 1 and 2, although the top cover is prevented from pivoting in the closing direction, it is allowed to pivot in the opening direction, and there is no clicking sensation when the top cover is opened. Furthermore, because these one-piece caps are all molded in an open state, a molding die with a large area must be used, which poses the problem of low yield per site area (pot yield).

[0010] On the other hand, in the two-piece cap of Patent Document 3, when the cap body 4 is opened to remove the contents, the engagement piece 47 engages with the screw protrusion of the container body 10, preventing the cap body 4 from rotating in both the closing and opening directions, which may produce a certain degree of clicking sensation. However, since the engagement piece 47 engages with the screw protrusion and is not a component formed as an engagement mechanism for preventing the cap body 4 from rotating, not only are the protrusions not very high, but the spacing (pitch) between the protrusions leaves some "play," and the engagement force with the engagement piece 47 is insufficient, resulting in an insufficient clicking sensation. Furthermore, since the cap body 4 is formed separately from the container body 10 and is molded in a state where the cap body 4 is open relative to the ring body 2, a large-area molding die is still required.

[0011] In light of the above facts, the present inventor previously proposed a one-piece cap in the specification and drawings of Patent Application No. 2020-196010 that solves the above-mentioned problems, in which an engagement mechanism is provided between the mounting wall and the top lid that prevents the top lid from pivoting in the opening and closing directions when the top lid is placed in the open state by pivoting it using a strap band, and the engagement mechanism consists of an engagement means formed on the upper end of the mounting wall and an engageable piece that extends radially outward from the outer surface of the skirt wall of the top lid and then extends upward (hereinafter referred to as the "prior one-piece cap").

[0012] Therefore, the above-mentioned prior one-piece cap is not fully satisfactory and has the following problem to be solved: Namely, according to the inventor's experience, when the top cover is further rotated in the open direction from the open state, that is, from the state in which the engaging means formed on the mounting wall side engages with the engaged piece formed on the top cover side, the strap band is excessively stretched and breaks when the outer peripheral edge of the upper surface of the top wall or the base end of the skirt wall passes over the upper end of the mounting wall, and the top cover may separate from the mounting wall.

[0013] The present invention was made in consideration of the above facts, and its main technical objective is to provide a new and improved one-piece cap that prevents the strap band from breaking as much as possible, even when the top cover is further rotated in the opening direction from the open state in which the engaging means formed on the mounting wall side and the engaged piece formed on the top cover side are engaged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] After careful consideration, the inventors discovered that the above-mentioned main technical problem can be solved by forming a notch in the required angular region in the circumferential direction, including the engaging piece, at the outer peripheral edge of the top wall or the upper end of the skirt wall.

[0015] That is, the present invention The first aspect of According to the patent, a one-piece cap that solves the above-mentioned main technical problem is provided which includes a cylindrical mounting wall that is attached to the mouth and neck of a container, and an upper lid that is hingedly connected to the mounting wall by a strap band, The top cover has a top wall and a skirt wall that hangs down from a peripheral edge of the top wall, An engagement mechanism is provided between the mounting wall and the top cover to prevent the top cover from turning in an opening direction and a closing direction when the top cover is opened by turning the strap band, The engagement mechanism is the top end of and an engaged piece extending radially outward from the outer surface of the skirt wall of the upper cover and then extending upward, the engaging means has an engaging portion defined in a circumferential angular region corresponding to the engaged piece, A notch is formed in a required angular region including the engaged piece in the circumferential direction from the outer peripheral edge of the top wall to the upper end of the skirt wall. Crate , When the top cover is rotated in the opening direction, the engaged piece passes over the engaging portion and the engaging portion enters into the space between the engaged piece and the outer surface of the skirt wall, thereby establishing the open state. In the open state, the outer surface of the engaging portion abuts against the outer surface of the skirt wall, and the inner surface of the engaging portion abuts against the inner surface of the engaged piece. A one-piece cap is provided. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a one-piece cap including a cylindrical mounting wall to be mounted on the mouth and neck of a container, and an upper lid hingedly connected to the mounting wall by a strap band, The top cover has a top wall and a skirt wall that hangs down from a peripheral edge of the top wall, An engagement mechanism is provided between the mounting wall and the top cover to prevent the top cover from turning in an opening direction and a closing direction when the top cover is opened by turning the strap band, the engaging mechanism comprises an engaging means formed on an upper end of the mounting wall and an engaged piece extending radially outward from the outer surface of the skirt wall of the upper cover and then extending upward, the engaging means including an engaging portion defined in a circumferential angular region corresponding to the engaged piece, and protrusions extending in the up-and-down direction on the outer surface of the mounting wall on both circumferential sides of the engaging portion, a notch is formed in a required angular region including the engaged piece in the circumferential direction from the outer peripheral edge of the top wall to the upper end of the skirt wall, A one-piece cap is provided, characterized in that the open state is established when the top cover is rotated in the opening direction, the engaged piece overcomes the engaging portion, and the engaging portion enters the space between the engaged piece and the outer surface of the skirt wall, and in the open state the outer surface of the protrusion abuts against the outer surface of the skirt wall and the inner surface of the engaging portion abuts against the inner surface of the engaged piece.

[0016] Applicable The outer surface of the engaging portion preferably slopes upward radially inward. Preferably, the outer surface of the portion of the upper cover where the notch is formed is gradually displaced downward radially outward from the upper surface of the top wall before connecting to the outer surface of the skirt wall. In this case, it is preferable that the outer surface of the portion be continuously connected to the upper surface of the top wall and the outer surface of the skirt wall. Furthermore, it is preferable that the outer surface of the portion be an upwardly convex arc. It is also preferable that the lower end of the notch be located below the upper end of the engaged piece in the vertical direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] In a one-piece cap constructed according to the present invention, even when the top cover is further rotated in the opening direction from an open state in which the engaging means formed on the mounting wall engages with the engaging piece formed on the top cover, the cutouts formed in the outer peripheral edge of the top wall and the upper end of the skirt wall in a required angular region including the engaging piece reduce the distance between the top cover and the upper end of the mounting wall. This prevents the entire top cover from being excessively separated from the mounting wall, i.e., prevents the strap band from being excessively stretched, and thus minimizes breakage of the strap band. Furthermore, in a one-piece cap constructed according to the present invention, when the top cover moves over the upper end of the mounting wall, the strap band pulls the top cover toward the mounting wall, causing the upper end of the mounting wall to move relatively along the cutouts, thereby acting as a restoring force on the top cover to return to the open state. This restoring force stably maintains the top cover in the open state. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a one-piece cap constructed according to the present invention attached to the mouth and neck of a container. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the state shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the state shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the state shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5-1] 3A to 3C are cross-sectional views illustrating the opening process of the one-piece cap shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5-2] 3A to 3C are cross-sectional views illustrating the opening process of the one-piece cap shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5-3] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the one-piece cap shown in FIG. 1 when the top cover reaches an open state. [Figure 6] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the one-piece cap shown in FIG. 1 in a state where the top cover is further pivoted in the opening direction from the open state. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a one-piece cap configured according to the present invention with the top cover in an open position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, a more detailed description will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of a one-piece cap constructed according to the present invention.

[0020] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the one-piece cap generally designated by the numeral 2 is integrally formed by injection molding an appropriate synthetic resin material, and comprises a cylindrical mounting wall 4 to be attached to the mouth of a container (described later), and a top lid 8 hingedly connected to this mounting wall 4 by a strap band 6.

[0021] The mounting wall 4 has a cylindrical shape and is formed with a breakable line 10 extending in the circumferential direction at approximately the middle in the vertical direction, and the mounting wall 4 is divided into a main portion 12 above the breakable line 10 and a tamper-evident skirt portion 14 below the breakable line 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the breakable line 10 is made up of a plurality of circumferentially extending slits (kerfs) 16 spaced apart in the circumferential direction and a plurality of bridging portions 18 remaining between the slits 16, and the tamper-evident skirt portion 14 is connected to the main portion 12 via the plurality of bridging portions 18. As will be mentioned later, the breakable line 10 is not substantially horizontal, but is appropriately biased upward and downward at required circumferential portions.

[0022] The front and back surfaces of the main portion 12 of the mounting wall 4 each have an upper edge that is continuously biased downward in the circumferential direction over a required angular range, thereby forming a first recess 22 and a second recess 24. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the first recess 22 and the second recess 24 are located on opposite sides in the diametric direction, with the first recess 22 being biased downward by a smaller amount than the second recess 24. As shown in FIG. 3, one end of the strap band 6 is connected to the upper end surface of the main portion 12 on which the first recess 22 is formed. Anti-slip knurling 26, consisting of concave and convex shapes that alternate in the circumferential direction, is formed on the outer surface of the main portion 12. Such anti-slip knurling 26 is not formed in the circumferential center of the angular region of the back surface where the first recess 22 is formed (FIG. 3), nor in the circumferential center of the side surface between the first recess 22 and the second recess 24 (FIG. 2). The portion where the anti-slip knurling 26 is not formed is designated by the number 28 as a non-knurled region. Although not necessarily clearly illustrated, the non-knurled region 28 located in the circumferential center between the first recess 22 and the second recess 24 is also provided on the opposite side in the diametric direction. As shown in FIG. 4, a female thread 30 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the main portion 12. A locking protrusion 32 is arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the tamper-evident skirt portion 14 of the mounting wall 4.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 3 , the main portion 12 of the mounting wall 4 in the specific angle region designated by the numeral 34 in the figure (i.e., on the back side) has two recesses 36, each with its lower end biased upward, spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Each of the two recesses 36 is substantially vertical on one circumferential side, but gently slopes upward on the other circumferential side. As a result, the lower end of the main portion 12 is provided with a locking surface 38, which is located on one circumferential side of the recess 36 and extends substantially vertically, and an upper inclined surface 40, which is located on the other circumferential side of the recess 36. Meanwhile, the tamper-evident skirt portion 14 in the specific angle region 34 has two protrusions 42, each with its upper end biased upward, spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Each of the two protrusions 42 is substantially vertical on one circumferential side, but gently slopes upward on the other circumferential side. As a result, the upper end of the tamper-evident skirt 14 is provided with a locking surface 44 that is located on one circumferential side of the protrusion 42 and extends substantially vertically, and a lower inclined surface 46 that is located on the other circumferential side of the protrusion 42. Such protrusion 42 corresponds to the recess 36 formed on the lower end of the main portion 12, and in the state shown in Fig. 3, the protrusion 42 is received in the recess 36. Furthermore, as can be understood by referring to Fig. 1 together with Fig. 3, such a specific angle region 34 is also provided on the front surface of the one-piece cap 2.

[0024] The top cover 8 has a circular top wall 48 and a cylindrical skirt wall 50 that hangs down from the periphery of the top wall 48. The other end of the strap band 6 is connected to the lower end of the outer surface of the skirt wall 50 at a predetermined angle on the back surface, and the top cover 8 can be rotated between a closed state (as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5-1) in which it covers the upper end surface of the mounting wall 4 and an open state (as shown in FIG. 5-3) in which it exposes the upper end surface of the mounting wall 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the top cover 8 reaches the open state by rotating approximately 120 degrees from the closed state in the opening direction (clockwise in FIGS. 5-1 to 5-3). As shown in FIG. 4, a cylindrical seal piece 52 that hangs down is formed on the inner peripheral edge of the top wall 48, and a relatively small annular protrusion 54 is located between the seal piece 52 and the skirt wall 50. An upper flange 56 that protrudes radially outward is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the top cover 8. The upper flange 56 extends in an arc downward radially outward from the upper surface of the top wall 48, and then extends radially inward substantially horizontally to connect to the upper end of the outer surface of the skirt wall 50. As can be understood by referring to Figures 1 to 3, the upper flange 56 is provided continuously in the circumferential direction in an angular region excluding the angular region in which the first recess 22 of the mounting wall 4 is formed.

[0025] The skirt wall 50 has an arc-shaped auxiliary ridge 58 extending continuously in the circumferential direction at the lower end of its outer surface. The auxiliary ridge 58 contributes to increasing the rigidity of the skirt wall 50. The auxiliary ridge 58 is located in correspondence with the non-knurled region 28 defined in the circumferential center between the first recess 22 and the second recess 24 of the mounting wall 4. As shown in FIG. 3, one auxiliary ridge 58 is located on each side in the diametrical direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the skirt wall 50 has an upper ridge 60 in the shape of an annular ring extending continuously in the circumferential direction at the lower end. The skirt wall 50 has an arc-shaped hanging wall 62 extending downward from the lower surface of the skirt wall 50 at a required circumferential position on its front surface. The hanging wall 62 is located in the second recess 24 when the top cover 8 is in the closed state described below, thereby stably holding the top cover 8 in the closed state. The outer surface of the depending wall 62 has a lower flange 64 formed at the lower end thereof and projecting radially outward. Reinforcing projections 66 extending vertically are also formed on both circumferential edges of the outer surface of the depending wall 62. As shown in FIG. 4 , a first lower protrusion 68 extending circumferentially is formed at the upper end of the inner surface of the depending wall 62. Here, a protrusion is formed on the diametrically opposite side of the portion where the first lower protrusion 68 is formed, i.e., on the back surface of the skirt wall 50, at the same vertical position as the first lower protrusion 68. This protrusion is designated as a second lower protrusion 70. Like the first lower protrusion 68, the second lower protrusion 70 is positioned lower than the upper protrusion 60. As can be seen by referring to FIG. 3 together with FIG. 4 , the second lower protrusion 70 is formed on the inner surface of a small arc-shaped wall 72 that extends downward from the lower surface of the skirt wall 50 and is diametrically opposite the depending wall 62.

[0026] 3, two strap bands 6 are provided circumferentially spaced apart and made of flexible strings. The two strap bands 6 extend upward from the upper end surface of the mounting wall 4, then extend substantially horizontally toward each other, are then bent upward into a U-shape, extend substantially horizontally away from each other, and then extend upward again to connect to the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the skirt wall 50. Therefore, the two strap bands 6 are positioned symmetrically with respect to a line extending axially midway between them.

[0027] 2 to 4, an engagement mechanism is provided between the mounting wall 4 and the top cover 8 to prevent the top cover 8 from pivoting in the opening and closing directions when the top cover 8 is opened by pivoting it using the strap band 6. The engagement mechanism comprises an engagement means 74 formed at the upper end of the mounting wall 4 and an engaged piece 76 that extends radially outward from the outer surface of the skirt wall 50 of the top cover 8 and then extends upward. In the illustrated embodiment, the engagement means 74 is an engagement portion 74a on the mounting wall 4 defined in a circumferential angular region corresponding to the engaged piece 76, and the outer surface of the engagement portion 74a is inclined radially inward as it extends upward. The operation of the engagement mechanism will be described later.

[0028] In a one-piece cap constructed according to the present invention, it is important that a notch 78 is formed in a required angular region, including the engaging piece 76, from the outer peripheral edge of the top wall 48 to the base end of the skirt wall 50 in the circumferential direction. As can be seen from FIG. 4 , in the illustrated embodiment, the outer surface of the portion of the top cover 8 where the notch 78 is formed is gradually displaced downward radially outward from the upper surface of the top wall 48 and then connected to the outer surface of the skirt wall 50. The outer surface of this portion has an upwardly convex arc shape and is continuously and smoothly connected to the upper surface of the top wall 48 and the outer surface of the skirt wall 50. The lower end of the notch 78 is located below the upper end of the engaging piece 76 in the vertical direction. If desired, the outer surface of this portion may be linear, stepped, or downwardly convex. The required angular region in which the notch 78 is formed can be appropriately set as long as it does not impair the strength of the top cover 8.

[0029] In the one-piece cap 2 described above, there is no component surrounding the outer surface of the mounting wall 4 or the outer surface of the skirt wall 50 of the top cover 8, i.e., there are no components that would make demolding difficult, so the top cover 8 can be molded in a closed state using an appropriate molding die. Therefore, the area required for the molding die for molding the one-piece cap 2 can be reduced, allowing for efficient manufacturing.

[0030] In Figure 1 and other figures, the mouth and neck portion 100 of the container is shown by a two-dot chain line together with the one-piece cap 2. The mouth and neck portion 100 of the container, which can be formed from a suitable synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate, glass, or thin metal plate, is cylindrical overall, and as shown in Figure 4, its top surface is open. An annular locking ridge 102 that protrudes radially outward is formed at the upper end of the outer periphery of the mouth and neck portion 100. The outer periphery of the mouth and neck portion 100 is further formed with a male thread 104, a locking jaw 106 located below the male thread 104, and a support ring 108 located below the locking jaw 106 (such support ring 108 is used for transporting the container, as is well known to those skilled in the art).

[0031] When the one-piece cap 2 is attached to the mouth-and-neck portion 100 to seal the mouth-and-neck portion 100 after the contents have been filled into the container, the one-piece cap 2 in the closed state is fitted over the mouth-and-neck portion 100 and rotated in the closing rotation direction, that is, clockwise as viewed from above in Figures 2 to 4, so that the female thread 30 of the one-piece cap 2 is threaded onto the male thread 104 of the mouth-and-neck portion 100. When the female thread 30 is threaded onto the male thread 104 to the state shown in Figure 4, the seal piece 52 of the one-piece cap 2 enters the mouth-and-neck portion 100 and is tightly contacted with the inner circumferential surface of the mouth-and-neck portion 100, and the first lower ridge 68 and second lower ridge 70, followed by the upper ridge 60, elastically overcome the annular locking ridge 102, so that the annular protrusion 54 is tightly contacted with the top surface of the mouth-and-neck portion 100, thereby sealing the mouth-and-neck portion 100. The locking protrusion 32 arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the tamper-evident skirt 14 elastically overcomes the locking jaw 106 of the neck portion 100 (i.e., by elastic deformation or displacement of the tamper-evident skirt 14) and is positioned below the locking jaw 106. When the locking ridge 32 elastically overcomes the locking jaw 106, the locking ridge 32 and the locking jaw 106 come into close contact with each other, and a braking force is applied only to the tamper-evident hem 14; however, in the illustrated embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the main part 12 is formed with a locking surface 38 and the tamper-evident hem 14 is formed with a locked surface 44, and the locking surface 38 engages with the locked surface 44 circumferentially, causing the main part 12 to push the tamper-evident hem 14 in the closing rotation direction (circumferential direction), preventing the main part 12 from rotating in the closing rotation direction relative to the tamper-evident hem 14, and thereby preventing the bridging portion 18 of the breakable line 10 from breaking when the one-piece cap 2 is attached to the neck portion 100.

[0032] When opening the neck portion 100 to consume the contents, the one-piece cap 2 in the closed state is rotated in the opening direction, i.e., counterclockwise as viewed from above in Figure 4. As a result, the male thread 104 and the female thread 30 gradually disengage, and the main portion 12 of the mounting wall 4 and the top cover 8 are moved axially upward as the cap is rotated. Meanwhile, the tamper-evident skirt 14 is prevented from moving axially upward because the locking projection 32 is locked with the locking jaw 106 of the neck portion 100. This generates stress in the bridging portion 18 of the breakable line 10, causing the bridging portion 18 to break and the tamper-evident skirt 14 to be separated from the main portion 12 of the mounting wall 4. 3, the main portion 12 is formed with an upper inclined surface 40 and the tamper-evident bottom portion 14 is formed with a lower inclined surface 46, and when the one-piece cap 2 is rotated in the opening direction, the main portion 12 is guided to move upward relative to the tamper-evident bottom portion 14 by cooperation of the upper inclined surface 40 and the lower inclined surface 46, so that the bridging portion 18 is easily broken. Then, at the same time that the bridging portion 18 is broken, the upper protrusion 60 of the top cover 8 elastically overcomes the annular locking protrusion 102 of the neck portion 100, and the annular locking protrusion 102 is positioned between the upper protrusion 60 and the first and second lower protrusions 68, 70, as shown in FIG.

[0033] Next, by placing the palm of one's finger on the outer surface of the hanging wall 62 of the top lid 8 and hooking one's finger on the underside of the upper flange 56 to force the top lid 8 upward, the first lower ridge 68 and the second lower ridge 70 of the top lid 8 elastically climb over the annular locking ridge 102 of the neck opening / closing portion 100. Then, as shown in FIG. 5-2 , when the top lid 8 is rotated in the opening direction by a required angle around the strap band 6 as the rotation center, the engaged piece 76 elastically climbs over the engaging portion 74a. At this time, the strap band 6 connecting the mounting wall 4 and the top lid 8 is flexible and string-like, allowing the top lid 8 to move slightly relative to the mounting wall 4, and therefore the engaged piece 76 can easily climb over the engaging portion 74a. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer surface of the engaging portion 74a is inclined radially inward toward the top, which also allows the engaged piece 76 to easily climb over the engaging portion 74a. Thereafter, the engaging portion 74a enters the space between the engaged piece 76 and the outer surface of the skirt wall 50, thus establishing the open state as shown in Fig. 5-3. In the open state, the outer surface of the engaging portion 74a abuts against the outer surface of the skirt wall 50, preventing the top lid 8 from pivoting in the opening direction, and the inner surface of the engaging portion 74a abuts against the inner surface of the engaged piece 76, preventing the top lid 8 from pivoting in the closing direction (counterclockwise on the paper in Figs. 5-1 to 5-3). Thus, the one-piece cap 2 of the present invention provides a satisfactory clicking sensation. In the open state, the top surface of the container's neck portion 100 is exposed, and by tilting the container appropriately, the contents within the container can be discharged from the top surface of the neck portion 100. At this time, the top lid 8 is prevented from rotating in the closing direction by an engagement mechanism consisting of the engagement portion 74a and the engaged piece 76, so when the container is tilted, the top lid 8 will not rotate in the closing direction, allowing the user to easily dispense the contents.

[0034] In the one-piece cap constructed according to the present invention, even when the top cover 8 is further rotated in the opening direction from the open state (the state shown in FIG. 5-3) in which the engaging means 74 formed on the mounting wall 4 engages with the engaged piece 76 formed on the top cover 8, the distance between the top cover 8 and the engaging part 74a (upper end) of the mounting wall 4 is reduced as shown in FIG. 6 due to the formation of notches 78 in the required angular region in the circumferential direction that includes the engaged piece 76 at the outer circumferential edge of the top wall 48 or the base end of the skirt wall. This prevents the entire top cover 8 from being excessively separated from the mounting wall 4, i.e., prevents the strap band 6 from being excessively stretched, and thus minimizes the risk of the strap band 6 breaking. Furthermore, in the one-piece cap constructed according to the present invention, when the top cover 8 climbs over the engaging portion 74a (upper end) of the mounting wall 4, the top cover 8 is pulled by the strap band 6 in a direction approaching the mounting wall 4, and the engaging portion 74a (upper end) of the mounting wall 4 moves relatively along the notch 78, so that a restoring force acts on the top cover 8 to return it to the open state. This restoring force keeps the top cover 8 stably in the open state.

[0035] After a predetermined amount of contents has been dispensed, the top lid 8 is rotated in the closing direction from the open state to the closed state around the strap band 6. At this time, the engaged piece 76 again elastically overcomes the engaging portion 74a, thereby releasing the engagement. Then, as shown in FIG. 5-1, the seal piece 52 of the top lid 8 enters the inside of the mouth-and-neck portion 100, causing the top lid 8 to temporarily seal the top surface of the mouth-and-neck portion 100. Furthermore, the first lower ridge 68 and the second lower ridge 70 of the top lid 8 elastically overcome the annular locking ridge 102 formed on the mouth-and-neck portion 100 of the container and position themselves below it, thereby maintaining the top lid 8 in the closed state.

[0036] In the above-described embodiment, the engagement means 74 is composed only of the engagement portion 74a, and when the top cover 8 is in the open state, the outer surface of the engagement portion 74a abuts against the outer surface of the skirt wall 50, thereby preventing the top cover 8 from rotating in the opening direction, and the inner surface of the engagement portion 74a abuts against the inner surface of the engaged piece 76, thereby preventing the top cover 8 from rotating in the closing direction. However, if desired, the engagement means 74 can be composed of the engagement portion 74a as well as protrusions 74b extending vertically on the outer surface of the mounting wall 4 on both circumferential sides of the engagement portion 74a (see Figure 3), and when the top cover 8 is in the open state, the outer surface of the protrusions 74b abuts against the outer surface of the skirt wall 50, thereby preventing the top cover 8 from rotating in the opening direction, and the inner surface of the engagement portion 74a abuts against the inner surface of the engaged piece 76, thereby preventing the top cover 8 from rotating in the closing direction. In this case, as shown in Fig. 7, in the open state, the outer surface of the engaging portion 74a is separated from the outer surface of the skirt wall 50. As shown in Fig. 3, the protrusion 74b is formed by part of the anti-slip knurling 26 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the main portion 12 of the mounting wall 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 2:1 Piece Cap 4: Mounting wall 6: Strap band 8:Top lid 48: Top wall 50: Skirt wall 74: Engagement means 76: Engaged piece 78: Notch 100: (Container) neck

Claims

1. A one-piece cap having a cylindrical mounting wall attached to the mouth and neck of a container and an upper lid hingedly connected to the mounting wall by a strap band, The top cover has a top wall and a skirt wall that hangs down from a peripheral edge of the top wall, An engagement mechanism is provided between the mounting wall and the top cover to prevent the top cover from turning in an opening direction and a closing direction when the top cover is opened by turning the strap band, the engaging mechanism comprises an engaging means formed on an upper end of the mounting wall and an engaged piece extending radially outward from the outer surface of the skirt wall of the upper cover and then extending upward, the engaging means having an engaging portion defined in a circumferential angular region corresponding to the engaged piece, a notch is formed in a required angular region including the engaged piece in the circumferential direction from the outer peripheral edge of the top wall to the upper end of the skirt wall, The open state is established when the top cover is rotated in the opening direction, the engaged piece overcomes the engaging portion, and the engaging portion enters the space between the engaged piece and the outer surface of the skirt wall, and in the open state, the outer surface of the engaging portion abuts against the outer surface of the skirt wall, and the inner surface of the engaging portion abuts against the inner surface of the engaged piece.

2. A one-piece cap having a cylindrical mounting wall attached to the mouth and neck of a container and an upper lid hingedly connected to the mounting wall by a strap band, The top cover has a top wall and a skirt wall that hangs down from a peripheral edge of the top wall, An engagement mechanism is provided between the mounting wall and the top cover to prevent the top cover from turning in an opening direction and a closing direction when the top cover is opened by turning the strap band, the engaging mechanism comprises an engaging means formed on an upper end of the mounting wall and an engaged piece extending radially outward from the outer surface of the skirt wall of the upper cover and then extending upward, the engaging means including an engaging portion defined in a circumferential angular region corresponding to the engaged piece, and protrusions extending in the up-and-down direction on the outer surface of the mounting wall on both circumferential sides of the engaging portion, a notch is formed in a required angular region including the engaged piece in the circumferential direction from the outer peripheral edge of the top wall to the upper end of the skirt wall, The open state is established when the top cover is rotated in the opening direction, the engaged piece overcomes the engaging portion, and the engaging portion enters the space between the engaged piece and the outer surface of the skirt wall, and in the open state, the outer surface of the protrusion abuts against the outer surface of the skirt wall, and the inner surface of the engaging portion abuts against the inner surface of the engaged piece.

3. 3. The one-piece cap according to claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the engaging portion is inclined radially inwardly as it extends upward.

4. 4. A one-piece cap as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the outer surface of the portion of the upper cover where the notch is formed is gradually displaced downward radially outward from the upper surface of the top wall before being connected to the outer surface of the skirt wall.

5. 5. The one-piece hinge cap according to claim 4, wherein the outer surface of said portion is continuously connected to the upper surface of said top wall and the outer surface of said skirt wall.

6. 6. The one-piece cap according to claim 4, wherein the outer surface of said portion is arcuate and convex upward.

7. 7. The one-piece cap according to claim 4, wherein a lower end of the notch is positioned lower than an upper end of the engagement piece in the vertical direction.

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