Nozzle cap

Abstract

To provide a one-touch nozzle cap having a configuration that enables a nozzle to be made higher than before by a simple and relatively small design change. [Solution] A one-touch nozzle cap (1) comprising a cap body (10) and a lid portion (20) which is integrally formed rotatably via a hinge portion (2) extending freely from the side of the cap body and which covers and caps a nozzle (15) which protrudes from a base portion (13) formed on the top surface (12) of the cap body, further comprising a middle surface (14) which is provided at a height position between the top surface and the upper surface of the base portion over at least a semi-circumferential region on the hinge portion side of the outer region (12L) of the base portion, and the hinge portion (2) extends integrally from the side of the cap body to the side of the lid portion at the same height as the middle surface (14).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a one-touch nozzle cap that is attached to the nozzle of a container filled with a liquid, such as a cosmetic, and that allows the liquid to be dispensed from a nozzle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a nozzle cap that has a configuration that allows the nozzle to be raised more easily than conventional nozzle caps. [Background technology]

[0002] Liquid cosmetics such as lotions, emulsions, and serums are typically filled into cylindrical or tubular containers and used by squeezing them out through a nozzle at the end of the container. The nozzle is often fitted at its base into the top opening of the container, and is often closed with a separate screw cap that covers the nozzle and screws onto the top periphery of the container.

[0003] Another type of nozzle cap is a one-touch nozzle cap (hereinafter also referred to as one-touch nozzle cap), in which a nozzle protrudes from the top surface of a cap body that is attached by screwing onto the outer peripheral surface of a nozzle extending from the top end of a container, and a lid portion that covers and closes the nozzle is integrally provided via a hinge portion extending from the side of the cap body and can be rotated via the hinge portion.

[0004] Typically, the outer periphery of the lid has approximately the same shape as the cap body so that it is continuous with the cap body when the cap is closed. Therefore, if the cap body is cylindrical, the lid will also be cylindrical, and its lower end will have a shape that engages with the outer periphery of the top surface of the cap body when the cap is closed.

[0005] Generally, a base portion that is slightly elevated is formed in the outer peripheral region of the top surface of the cap body, and by matching the width of the top surface of the outer peripheral region of the base portion to the thickness of the lower end of the lid portion, an engagement portion having a substantially L-shaped cross section is formed by the top surface of the outer peripheral region and the stepped surface of the base portion. Therefore, the lid portion has an inner corner of the lower end engaging with the engagement portion having a substantially L-shaped cross section, resulting in a good closure state.

[0006] In this case, the nozzle protrudes from the top surface of the base, and the depth of the lid and the height of the nozzle are designed to prevent interference with each other when the lid rotates around the center of the hinge for opening and closing.

[0007] The screw cap is usually used for products that require a long nozzle, while the one-touch nozzle cap is used for products that do not require a long nozzle. In either case, the cap is at least manufactured as a molded product made of synthetic resin.

[0008] Since it is desirable to use liquid cosmetics by dispensing a relatively small amount from a nozzle, the nozzle is designed to be elongated and small in diameter so that the liquid drips from the opening at the tip. Therefore, screw caps have been used in many cosmetic containers that require such elongated nozzles.

[0009] In addition, many cosmetics contain fragrances and other volatile ingredients, and to prevent these volatile ingredients from escaping from the tip opening of the nozzle and to make it difficult for outside air to enter the container, a protrusion is provided in the center of the inner ceiling surface of the screw cap to cover the tip opening of the nozzle when the cap is attached.

[0010] However, screw caps require both hands to open and close. Therefore, when using the cosmetic product, you must first open the cap with both hands and remove it completely from the container, then tilt the container and drip the cosmetic directly onto your palm or onto a cotton ball. Then, you must use both hands to close the cap.

[0011] That is, from the time the cap is opened, the required amount of cosmetic is dispensed from the container, and until the time the cosmetic is actually applied to the face, etc., the removed cap must be placed somewhere. During this time, the container remains open, and the release of volatile components and the intrusion of outside air are unavoidable.

[0012] Therefore, there is a demand for a one-touch nozzle cap for such cosmetic containers that can be opened and closed with one hand, allowing the user to open the lid with one hand, dispense an appropriate amount of cosmetic, and then immediately close the lid with the same hand and place it on the container.

[0013] However, when a one-touch nozzle cap is used for cosmetics, it is necessary to provide a protrusion in the center of the inner ceiling surface of the lid that is inserted into the tip opening of the nozzle to seal it when the cap is attached. However, if the nozzle itself is made long and slender for use with cosmetics, the tip opening of the nozzle will be higher and farther away from the base of the nozzle that rises from the top surface of the base (hereinafter also referred to as the base surface), and will be positioned at a large angle from the center of the hinge, which is the rotation center of the lid.

[0014] Therefore, when attempting to close the lid by rotating it to insert the protrusion into the nozzle tip, the direction in which the protrusion is inserted into the nozzle tip opening becomes tilted relative to the center of the nozzle opening. This tilt of the protrusion becomes greater the higher the nozzle, making it difficult to insert the nozzle into the nozzle tip opening and potentially preventing reliable closure.

[0015] Therefore, there is a demand for a one-touch nozzle cap that can reliably close the nozzle even when the nozzle is relatively high for cosmetic use, by rotating the lid part around the hinge part so that the protrusion can be inserted well into the tip opening of the nozzle.

[0016] Therefore, the protruding position of the nozzle has been set to a position farther away from the center of the top surface of the conventional cap body on the opposite side of the hinge's swing fulcrum, and the protruding position of the corresponding protrusion has also been set to a position farther away from the hinge section than the center of the inner ceiling surface of the lid section (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0017] In this case, even if the nozzles are the same height, the protrusion contacts the tip opening of the nozzle at a position horizontally farther from the center of rotation of the lid, so the inclination in the insertion direction relative to the center of the opening is kept small, allowing for smooth insertion, and as a result, more reliable sealing by the lid is achieved. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0018] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-55597 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7152029 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0019] However, as described above, a one-touch nozzle cap configuration is desired that can adjust the protruding position of the nozzle on the cap body side and the protruding position of the protrusion on the lid portion in a direction away from the rotation center of the lid portion, without making any other major design changes, and can make the nozzle even thinner, i.e., taller.

[0020] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a one-touch nozzle cap having a configuration that allows the nozzle to be made higher than conventional ones with a simple and relatively small design change. [Means for solving the problem]

[0021] In order to achieve the above object, the nozzle cap according to the invention as set forth in claim 1 comprises, for example, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, Filled with liquid cosmetics containing volatile ingredientsThe cap body has an attachment part that is attached to the nozzle of a container and a nozzle that protrudes upward, and a lid part that is integrally provided rotatably via a hinge part that extends freely from the side of the cap body and covers the nozzle to close the cap. The cap body has a base part that is formed with a step of a predetermined height in the central region of the top surface of the cap body, and the nozzle is provided standing up from the upper surface of the base part. The lid part has a protrusion that protrudes from the inner ceiling surface of the lid part and that is inserted into the tip opening of the nozzle when the lid is closed to close the opening. In this type of nozzle cap, the cap body further comprises a middle surface provided at a height position between the top surface and the upper surface of the base portion over at least a semi-circumferential region on the hinge portion side of the outer region of the base portion, the hinge portion extending integrally from the side surface of the cap body to the side surface of the lid portion at the same height as the middle surface, and the lid portion has the same outer peripheral shape as the cap body and is shaped so that its lower end engages with the outer region of the base portion including the middle surface of the cap body when the lid is attached.

[0022] According to the nozzle cap of claim 1 of the present invention, an intermediate surface is provided in the outer region of the base portion of the cap body, at least on the hinge portion side, at a height position between the top surface and the upper surface of the base portion.Therefore, the hinge portion, which was previously formed at the same height as the top surface and extending from the side of the cap body to the side of the lid portion, can now be provided at a height of the intermediate surface that is higher than the top surface.

[0023] Therefore, since the rotation center position of the lid is substantially higher than the height of the conventional top surface, the rotation range of the lid also moves upward, and the upper limit height of the nozzle that does not interfere with the rotation of the lid also increases accordingly. This allows the nozzle to be made higher than before, and also maintains a good insertion state of the protrusion into the tip opening of the higher nozzle as the lid rotates.

[0024] In this way, it is possible to make the nozzle higher than before with just a simple design change of adding a step between the top surface of the outer region of the base and the upper surface of the base, without having to make major changes to the design of the nozzle cap from the past. This makes it possible to obtain a one-touch nozzle cap that is more suited to the nozzle height desired for cosmetics.

[0025] Furthermore, since the outer region of the base portion serves as the engagement portion with which the lower end portion of the lid portion engages, the lower end portion of the lid portion also has a step shape that corresponds to the step shape of the outer region in which this middle surface is formed.

[0026] The nozzle cap according to the invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that, for example, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the protruding position of the nozzle is located in a direction away from the central axis position of the cap body on the opposite side of the hinge portion.

[0027] According to the nozzle cap of claim 2 of the present invention, as in the conventional case, by adjusting the protruding position of the nozzle in a direction away from the hinge portion, it is possible to minimize the inclination of the insertion direction of the protrusion with respect to the tip opening of the nozzle, which is set high. This allows the protrusion to be inserted well into the tip opening of the nozzle, achieving reliable closure by the lid portion.

[0028] The nozzle cap according to the invention of claim 3, as shown in FIG. 2, is characterized in that a ring-shaped fitting portion that fits onto the outer periphery of the tip of the nozzle is further protruded from the inner ceiling surface of the lid portion, the nozzle has an outer tapered shape at its outer periphery of the tip that expands in diameter downward from the tip, and the fitting portion has an inner tapered shape at its open end that narrows in diameter toward the inside and matches the outer tapered shape.

[0029] According to the nozzle cap of claim 3 of the present invention, a ring-shaped fitting portion that fits onto the outer periphery of the tip of the nozzle is provided on the inner ceiling surface of the lid portion, thereby more reliably sealing the tip opening of the nozzle.

[0030] As the lid portion is rotated closed, the protrusion is inserted into the tip opening of the nozzle, and at the same time the fitting portion fits into the outer periphery of the tip of the nozzle from the hinge side. During this process, the outer periphery of the tip of the nozzle moves at a slight incline relative to the fitting portion, but the fitting portion receives the outer periphery of the nozzle tip by aligning its inner tapered shape with its outer tapered shape, thereby achieving smooth fitting. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] As described above, the present invention has a simple structure in which an intermediate surface is provided at a height position between the top surface of the cap body and the upper surface of the base portion in its central region, and a hinge portion is provided at the same height as this intermediate surface, which makes it possible to raise the rotation center of the lid portion, which is the hinge portion, by the height of the intermediate surface compared to conventional methods, and as a result has the effect of making the nozzle protruding from the upper surface of the base portion also higher by that height. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a one-touch nozzle cap according to an embodiment of the present invention in an open state. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are perspective views showing a schematic configuration of the nozzle cap of FIG. 1, in which (a) is a perspective view seen from above on the left side, and (b) is a perspective view seen from above on the right side. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a portion where the nozzle cap of FIG. 1 is attached to a container. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the nozzle cap of FIG. 1 in a closed state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0034] <Embodiment> 1 to 4 show a one-touch nozzle cap 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The nozzle cap 1 according to this embodiment comprises a substantially cylindrical cap body 10 that is attached to the nozzle 31 of a container 30 filled with a content such as a liquid cosmetic via an attachment part 11 and has a nozzle 15 protruding from the upper surface, and a lid part 20 that is rotatably connected to the cap body 10 by a hinge part 2 that extends swingably from the side of the cap body 10 and that covers the nozzle 15.

[0035] The mounting portion 11 of the cap body 10 has a female threaded portion formed therein that screws into a male threaded portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle portion 31 of the container 30, and when mounted, connects the interior of the container 30 to the nozzle flow path 15C via the nozzle portion 31.

[0036] A base 13 is formed in the central region of the top surface 12 of the cap body 10 with a step of a predetermined height, and a nozzle 15 protrudes from the upper surface of the base 13. In this embodiment, the protruding position of the nozzle 15 is set at a position away from the central axis Y of the cap body on the opposite side of the hinge portion 2.

[0037] The lid 20 is rotatable around the center of the hinge 2 as the rotation center X, and this rotation action opens and closes the nozzle 15. A protrusion 26 is provided on the inner ceiling surface 25 of the lid 20. The protrusion 26 covers the nozzle 15 when the lid 20 is closed, and is inserted into the tip opening 16 of the nozzle 15 to seal the tip opening 16 when the lid 20 reaches a predetermined covering position.

[0038] Furthermore, a ring-shaped fitting portion 27 is also provided on the concentric circle on the outer periphery of the protrusion 26, which fits onto the outer periphery 17 of the tip of the nozzle 15 when the protrusion 26 is inserted into the tip opening 16 of the nozzle 15. This ensures that the tip opening 16 of the nozzle 15 is sealed more reliably when the cap is closed.

[0039] In this embodiment, the tip outer periphery 17 of the nozzle 15 has an outer tapered shape 17T that expands in diameter downward from the tip, and the open end of the fitting portion 27 has an inner tapered shape 27T that contracts inward and matches the outer tapered shape 17T of the nozzle 15.

[0040] Therefore, as the lid portion 20 is rotated closed, the protrusion portion 26 is inserted into the tip opening 16 of the nozzle 15, and at the same time, the fitting portion 27 fits into the tip outer periphery 17 of the nozzle 15 from the hinge portion side, and even if the tip outer periphery 17 of the nozzle 15 moves at a slight incline relative to the fitting portion 27, the fitting portion 27 can smoothly accept the tip outer periphery 17 of the nozzle by aligning its inner tapered shape 27T with the outer tapered shape 17T, and the two are fitted together without any problems.

[0041] Furthermore, like a typical one-touch nozzle cap, the lid portion 20 has the same outer peripheral shape as the cap body 10, and the outer peripheral surfaces of the two are continuous when the lid portion is closed. The width of the outer region of the base portion 13 is equivalent to the thickness of the lower end portion 21 of the lid portion 20. As a result, the outer region of the base portion 13 forms a generally L-shaped vertical cross section with the top surface 12 of that region and the stepped surface of the base portion 13, and forms an engaging portion 18 with which the inner corner portion 22 of the lower end portion 21 of the lid portion 20 engages around the entire circumference when the lid portion is closed.

[0042] In the cap body 10 of this embodiment, a middle surface 14 is further provided in the outer peripheral region of the top surface 12, which is the outer region of the base portion 13, over approximately half the circumference on the hinge portion 2 side, at a height position between the top surface 12 and the upper surface of the base portion 13. The hinge portion 2 extends from the side surface of the cap body 10 at the same height as this middle surface 14.

[0043] In conventional one-touch nozzle caps, the hinge portion generally extends from the same height as the top surface. In contrast, in nozzle cap 1 of this embodiment, hinge portion 2 is higher than conventional ones by the height of middle surface 14 from top surface 12, and as a result, rotation center X, which is the center of hinge portion 2, is located higher than conventional ones.

[0044] Therefore, the rotation range of the lid part 20 also moves higher than before, and the upper limit height of the nozzle 15 that does not interfere with the rotation of the lid part 20 also increases accordingly. For this reason, in this embodiment, the nozzle 15 is made higher than before, making it possible to make the nozzle 15 more elongated and suitable for cosmetic liquids.

[0045] Furthermore, the lower end 21 of the lid portion 20, which faces upward in the open state, engages with the outer peripheral region of the base portion 13 of the cap body 10 as the engaging portion 18 in the closed state. For this reason, the lower end 21 of the lid portion 20 is shaped to match the shape of the outer region of the base portion 13, where the middle surface 14 higher than the outer peripheral region 12L of the top surface 12 is formed.

[0046] In other words, the area corresponding to the middle surface 14 when the lower end 21 is in the closed state is a middle surface abutment portion 24 which is at the same height as the middle surface 14 and the hinge portion 2 in the open state, and is a top surface abutment portion 23 near the periphery which is at the same height as the outer peripheral region 12L of the top surface 12 other than the middle cross section 14.

[0047] The difference in height of the nozzle 15 is specifically shown below for one design example of the nozzle cap 1 according to this embodiment. The nozzle cap 1 of this embodiment is cylindrical overall, but is provided with a notched flat surface 19 that serves as a handhold when actually placing your thumb on the lid portion 20 to lift it up, in order to open and close the lid portion 20 with one hand. For ease of explanation, it is assumed here that the cap body 10 and the lid portion 20 are cylindrical and form a single column shape when attached.

[0048] Therefore, the cylindrical cap body 10 has a base portion 13 with an outer diameter of approximately 16.5 mm formed in the central region of the top surface 12, with a height of 0.7 mm from the top surface 12 to the upper surface, and the nozzle 15 is protruded so that the central axis of the nozzle 15 is located 2 mm away from the center of the base portion 13 on the opposite side of the hinge portion 2, and the cylindrical lid portion 20 has a maximum internal depth of approximately 11 mm and an inner diameter that matches the outer diameter of the base portion 13.

[0049] In the nozzle cap 1 designed for this size, if the hinge portion 2 is flush with the top surface 12 as in the conventional case, the maximum height of the nozzle 15 from the top surface of the base portion 13 is 9.6 mm. In contrast, in this embodiment, if the middle surface 14 is formed at a height of 0.2 mm from the top surface 12 and the hinge portion 2 is flush with this middle surface 14, the maximum height of the nozzle 15 from the top surface of the base portion 13 can be 9.8 mm. In this way, the nozzle 15 can be made taller by the height of the middle surface 14. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] In the above embodiment, a one-touch nozzle cap was described that is intended to be attached to a container from which cosmetic liquid is dispensed in droplets from a nozzle, but the nozzle cap of the present invention can be applied to containers for various liquids, not just cosmetics, where a taller and more slender nozzle is desirable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1: Nozzle cap 2: Hinge part X: Rotation center 10: Cap body Y: Center axis of the cap body 11: Mounting part 12: Top 12L: The outer edge of the top surface 13: Base 14:Middle surface 15: Nozzle 15C: Nozzle flow path 16: Tip opening 17: Tip outer periphery 17T: Outer tapered shape 18: Engagement part 19: Plane 20: Lid 21: Bottom end 22:Inner corner 23: Top surface contact part near the outer periphery 24: Middle surface contact part 25:Inner ceiling surface 26:Protrusion 27: Fitting part 27T: Inner tapered shape 30: Container 31: Cylinder mouth part

Claims

1. A cap body having an attachment part attached to the nozzle of a container filled with a liquid cosmetic containing a volatile component and a nozzle protruding upward, and a lid part rotatably and integrally provided via a hinge part extending freely from the side of the cap body to cover and cap the nozzle, the cap body has a base portion formed in a central region of a top surface thereof with a step of a predetermined height, and the nozzle is provided upright on an upper surface of the base portion, In a one-touch nozzle cap, the lid portion has a protrusion protruding from its inner ceiling surface that is inserted into the tip opening of the nozzle when the lid is attached to seal the opening, the cap body further includes a middle surface provided at a height position between the top surface and an upper surface of the base portion over at least a semi-circumferential region on the hinge portion side of an outer region of the base portion, the hinge portion extends integrally from a side surface of the cap body to a side surface of the lid portion at the same height as the middle surface, A nozzle cap characterized in that the lid portion has the same outer peripheral shape as the cap body, and when attached, its lower end portion is shaped to engage with the outer region of the base portion including the middle surface of the cap body.

2. 2. The nozzle cap according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle protrudes from the cap body in a direction away from the central axis of the cap body and away from the hinge portion.

3. A ring-shaped fitting portion that fits onto the outer periphery of the tip of the nozzle is further protruded from the inner ceiling surface of the lid portion, 3. The nozzle cap according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle has an outer tapered shape at its tip outer periphery that expands in diameter downward from the tip, and the fitting portion has an inner tapered shape at its open end that narrows in diameter toward the inside and receives and fits into the outer tapered shape.

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