Hinge cap

Abstract

To provide a hinge cap including a transition plug part which engages with the upper lid and is to be unplugged when opening, with which even if content liquid adheres to the underside of the transition plug part, when the upper lid is opened, the content liquid adhering to the underside of the transition plug part does not drip into the top lid or out of the container.SOLUTION: A hinge cap consists of a cap body B which is attached to a mouth part 1 of a container A and has a discharge cylinder 5 and an upper lid D which is connected to the cap body B via a hinge C, the cap body B includes a partition wall 11 that closes the inner circumference of the discharge cylinder 5 and a transition plug part 13 which is defined by a weakening part 12 breakable on the partition wall 11, engages with the upper lid D and is to be unplugged when opening the lid, the transition plug part 13 includes a peripheral wall 14 erected from the partition wall 11 via the weakening part 12 and a liquid holding space 16 formed by a top wall 15 that closes the upper part of the peripheral wall 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge cap that is attached to a container, and more particularly to a hinge cap that has a transfer plug portion that engages with the top lid and is removed when the lid is first opened. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in hinge caps consisting of a cap body that is attached to a container and a top lid that is connected to the cap body via a hinge, a removal section formed by a pull ring or the like has been provided at the intended opening portion of the partition wall of the cap body to ensure the sealing of the container. However, in order to open the removal section, it is necessary to open the top lid, then pull up on a pull ring or the like to break the weakened section and remove the removal section, which is time-consuming and causes problems for users with weak strength who find it difficult to remove the bottle.

[0003] Therefore, if the removable portion as the intended opening portion is eliminated, problems with sealing will arise, such as the contents easily entering into the hinge cap. Therefore, a hinge cap has been known in the past in which the pull ring is omitted and the transfer plug portion provided in the intended opening portion is joined to the top lid by ultrasonic welding or the like after molding, and the transfer plug portion is pulled up by opening the top lid, breaking the weakened portion and removing the cap (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Furthermore, in the hinge cap described in Patent Document 1, after molding, the transition plug portion must be joined to the top lid by ultrasonic welding or the like. Therefore, a hinge cap is also known in which a lifting portion erected on the transition plug portion is engaged with a fastening portion suspended from the top lid, and when the top lid is opened, the transition plug portion is pulled up along with the lifting portion, thereby breaking the weakened portion and allowing the cap to be removed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-221643 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-34012 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with the hinge caps described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above, when the container is shaken before use to stir the contents that have separated into oil and water, or liquid and solids (such as sesame seeds or ingredients), the contents adhere to the underside of the transfer plug portion that has been transferred to the top lid, and when the top lid is opened, the adhered contents drip and soil the outside of the container. Furthermore, when using the liquid contents, if the container is tilted with the top lid open, the liquid contents adhering to the underside of the transfer stopper portion transferred to the top lid will drip and not only soil the inside of the top lid, but if the lid is closed in this state, the cap body and the container itself will also become soiled.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and to provide a hinge cap that has a transfer stopper section that engages with the top lid and is uncorked when the lid is opened, and that, by shaking the container before use to agitate the contents, even if the contents adhere to the underside of the transfer stopper section, does not drip into the top lid or outside the container when the top lid is opened. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a hinge cap, which is attached to the mouth of a container and comprises a cap body having a pouring tube and an upper lid connected to the cap body via a hinge, wherein the cap body comprises a partition wall that closes the inner periphery of the pouring tube, and a transfer plug portion that is defined by a breakable weakened portion in the partition wall and engages with the upper lid when the lid is opened to be removed, and the transfer plug portion has a liquid holding space formed by a vertical peripheral wall that stands up from the partition wall via the weakened portion and a top wall that closes the upper part of the peripheral wall. The liquid holding space is provided with a liquid return protrusion protruding downward from the hinge side of the peripheral wall. The present invention employs a configuration characterized by the above.

[0009] As an embodiment of the liquid retention space of the hinge cap, the liquid retention space is configured to be inclined so that the hinge side of the top wall is higher than the opposite side of the hinge, and the liquid retention space is The opposite side of the ceiling hinge The liquid retaining ribs are provided in the front-rear direction from the bottom surface of the container to the inner surface of the peripheral wall on the hinge side.

[0010] Furthermore, as an embodiment of the transition plug portion of the hinge cap, the transition plug portion has a lift-up portion erected from the top wall opposite the hinge, and the upper lid has a top wall, a side wall hanging down from the peripheral edge of the top wall, a sealing tube hanging down from the underside of the top wall and sealing the dispensing tube, and an engagement portion formed inside the sealing tube and engaging with the lift-up portion, and a configuration is adopted in which the lift-up portion has an engagement protrusion, and the engagement portion is formed on the top wall and has an engagement hole portion into which the engagement protrusion fits when the lid is closed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The hinge cap of the present invention has a liquid holding space in the transfer plug portion that is attached to the inside of the top lid by simultaneously opening the top lid and removing the transfer plug portion from the cap body. The liquid holding space has a liquid return protrusion protruding downward from the hinge side of the peripheral wall. Therefore, even if the container is shaken and the liquid content adheres to the underside of the transfer plug, the excess liquid content is quickly washed away and the remaining liquid that adheres is held in the liquid holding space, so that the liquid content hardly drips from the transfer plug after the top lid is opened, preventing the inside of the top lid and the outside of the container from getting dirty. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a state in which the hinge cap of Example 1 is attached to a container, in which (a) is a side cross-sectional view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line X1-X1 in (a). [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the hinge cap of Example 1 in an open state immediately after molding, in which (a) is a top view and (b) is a side cross-sectional view. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing the hinge cap of Example 1 in an opened state to remove the plug. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a state in which the hinge cap of Example 2 is attached to a container, in which (a) is a side cross-sectional view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line X2-X2 in (a). [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view showing the hinge cap of Example 2 in an opened state to remove the plug. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a state in which the hinge cap of Example 3 is attached to a container, in which (a) is a side cross-sectional view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line X3-X3 in (a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A hinge cap according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, in FIG. 1, the upward direction is referred to as "upper", the downward direction is referred to as "lower", the rightward direction is referred to as "rear side" (hinge side), and the leftward direction is referred to as "front side" (opposite the hinge). [Example]

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

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cap body B includes an attachment part 4 that is attached to the mouth part 1 of the container A, and a dispensing tube 5 that stands upright from the inside of the attachment part 4.

[0016] The mounting portion 4 is provided with a locking protrusion 6 on its periphery and is composed of an annular lid engagement portion 7 that engages with the upper lid D, an inner tube 8 that hangs down from the inner side of the lid engagement portion 7, and an outer tube 9 that hangs down from the outer side of the lid engagement portion 7. The outer cylinder 9 is provided with an engaging protrusion 10 for engaging with the container A on the lower inner periphery.

[0017] The dispensing tube 5 is provided with a partition 11 that closes the inner circumference of the dispensing tube 5 and seals the mouth 1 of the container A, and the partition 11 is provided with a transfer plug portion 13 defined by a breakable weakened portion 12 to open the dispensing outlet when in use.

[0018] The transfer plug portion 13 is erected from the partition wall 11 via the weakened portion 12. Vertical The liquid retention space 16 is formed by a peripheral wall 14 and a top wall 15 that closes the upper part of the peripheral wall 14, and the liquid retention space 16 has a liquid return protrusion 17 that protrudes downward from the back side (hinge C side) of the peripheral wall 14. The shape of the liquid return protrusion 17 is a protrusion with a downwardly inclined surface, but any shape is acceptable as long as it can guide the liquid contents adhering to the inner surface of the peripheral wall 14 on the rear side into the inside of the container A.

[0019] Furthermore, the transfer plug portion 13 has a cylindrical lifting portion 18 erected from the front side of the top wall 15 (opposite the hinge C), and a mountain-shaped locking protrusion 19 is provided on the upper surface of the lifting portion 18 so as to cover the lifting portion 18. The upper surface of the locking projection 19 is flat in this embodiment, but may be rounded.

[0020] A rectangular reinforcing rib 20 is provided on the rear side of the lifting portion 18 from the top toward the upper surface of the top wall 15. In addition, the peripheral wall 14 has an acute angle 21 formed at the lower end on the front side, which causes stress to be concentrated on the weakened portion 12 on the front side when the top cover D is lifted, making it easier for the weakened portion 12 to break.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the top cover D is rotatably attached to the upper outer end of the outer tube 9 of the cap body B via a hinge C, and has a top wall 30 and a side wall 31 hanging down from the peripheral edge of the top wall 30. The top wall 30 is suspended from the underside and is provided with a sealing tube 32 whose outer periphery is in close contact with the inner periphery of the dispensing tube 5 of the cap body B, an attachment hole portion 33 opening toward the front side inside the sealing tube 32, and an attachment step portion 34 with an enlarged diameter at the top of the attachment hole portion 33, and the attachment hole portion 33 and the attachment step portion 34 function as attachment portions that engage with the lifting portion 18 of the transfer plug portion 13.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the inner surface of the engagement hole portion 33 is inclined to match the lower outer surface of the engagement protrusion 19 provided on the lifting portion 18, so that the lower outer surface of the engagement protrusion 19 fits into it when the lid is closed. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, when the lid is closed, the upper part of the locking protrusion 19 reaches the locking step 34, and by a non-slip processing such as melting, the upper part of the locking protrusion 19 is expanded so as to fill the locking step 34, and the locking protrusion 19 is locked by the locking step 34 so as to be flush with the top wall 30 of the top lid D.

[0023] In this embodiment, a locking protrusion 19 is provided above the lifting portion 18, and an engagement hole 33 is further provided in the top cover D, and when the cover is closed, the upper part of the locking protrusion 19 is engaged with the engagement step 34 by a non-slip processing, but any method can be used to engage the lifting portion 18 with the engagement step 34, and the engagement hole 33 in the top cover D does not have to be provided. Furthermore, the upper part of the locking projection 19 does not have to be flush with the top wall 30 of the upper cover D after the retaining process.

[0024] The lower end of the side peripheral wall 31 is provided on the inner peripheral side with an engaging recess 35 that engages with the locking protrusion 6 of the lid engaging portion 7 of the cap body B. A flange-shaped handle 36 extends circumferentially from the outer periphery of the front side of the side peripheral wall 31, and a finger hook 37 is provided on the underside of the tip of the handle 36. In this embodiment, the side peripheral wall 31 has a thin-walled portion 31a in the vicinity of the grip portion 36. In addition, in order to prevent unauthorized opening before use, the hinge cap of this embodiment has a shrink label or sealing member or the like provided between the cap body B and the top cover D, although this is not shown.

[0025] Next, the manner of use and the effects of this embodiment will be described. The hinge cap of this embodiment can be manufactured as a single unit by injection molding using a mold. The hinge cap of this embodiment, manufactured by integral molding, is obtained in an open state as shown in FIG. 2, and is brought into the closed state shown in FIG. 1 by rotating the top cover D via the hinge C. At this time, the locking projection 19 formed on the upper part of the lifting part 18 can easily enter the locking hole 33 because it is small at the top and has a gentle slope on the front side.

[0026] The sealing cylinder 32 is in close contact with the dispensing cylinder 5 to form a seal, and the lid engaging portion 7 of the cap body B and the engaging recess 35 of the upper lid D fit together to form the closed lid state shown in FIG. In this embodiment, when the lid is closed, the upper part of the locking projection 19 is melted or otherwise processed to prevent it from coming off, and the locking projection 19 is engaged with the engagement step 34.

[0027] Next, the closed hinge cap is attached to the mouth 1 of the container A filled with the liquid content. In the stoppering process, the mouth 1 of the container A is placed against the annular groove formed between the lid engagement portion 7 of the attachment portion 4 and the inner tube 8, and a pressing force is applied from above the top lid D, causing the engagement protrusion 10 of the outer tube 9 to overcome the mating protrusion 2 of the mouth 1 and engage, and the mouth 1 of the container A is clamped between the outer periphery of the inner tube 8, the inner periphery of the outer tube 9, and the lid engagement portion 7, thereby attaching the container.

[0028] When the hinge cap of the present invention is used for the first time, the weakened portion 12 provided on the partition wall 11 of the cap body B is broken by opening the cap, and the cap can be removed. First, when you place your fingers on the finger hook 37 of the top cover D and lift up the handle 36, the thin-walled portion 31a of the side wall 31 is thinner than the other walls of the side wall 31, so the thin-walled portion 31a deforms from the handle 36 side, and the part of the side wall 31 near the handle 36 lifts up. When the portion of the side peripheral wall 31 near the handle portion 36 is raised, the engagement between the engagement recess 35 near the handle portion 36 of the side peripheral wall 31 and the locking protrusion 6 of the lid engagement portion 7 is released.

[0029] When the engagement recess 35 of the top lid D and the lid engagement portion 7 of the cap body B are disengaged, the front side peripheral wall 14 is lifted via the lifting portion 18, causing the weakened portion 12 near the acute angle portion 21 of the peripheral wall 14 to begin to break.Furthermore, by lifting the top lid D, the breaking of the weakened portion 12 progresses toward the back, and finally, the weakened portion 12 near the hinge C is broken.As shown in Figure 3, the transfer plug portion 13 is removed from the partition 11, and the portion of the transfer plug portion 13 defined by the weakened portion 12 in the partition 11 becomes an opening, making it possible to pour out the contents of the container A. After the transfer plug portion 13 is removed, when the top lid D is closed again, the outer periphery of the sealing tube 32 of the top lid D comes into tight contact with the inner periphery of the dispensing tube 5 of the cap body B, thereby sealing the inside of the dispensing tube 5.

[0030] In the hinge cap of this embodiment, when the contents are a dressing containing ingredients or the like, and container A is shaken up and down with the lid closed to stir the contents, the transfer plug portion 13 attached to the top lid D causes the contents to adhere to the inner surface of the liquid retention space 16 formed by the peripheral wall 14 and the top wall 15, but some of the contents remaining in the liquid retention space 16 flows down the inner surface of the peripheral wall 14 into container A, and solid matter such as ingredients also falls into container A under their own weight. Furthermore, in the liquid retention space 16 when the lid is closed, liquid is more likely to remain attached to the horizontal top wall 15 than to the vertical peripheral wall 14. However, as shown in Figure 3, when the top lid D is opened, the top wall 15 is tilted toward the hinge C side, so that some of the liquid attached to the top wall 15 flows down toward the peripheral wall 14 on the hinge C side and accumulates in the corner between the peripheral wall 14 and the top wall 15.

[0031] Next, when the container A is tilted to the front side with the top lid D left open, the liquid content in the container A can be poured out through the pouring tube 5. At this time, when the inclination of container A causes the peripheral wall 14 to tilt downward and left as viewed in Figure 3 from the horizontal state, some of the liquid contents remaining in the liquid holding space 16 of the transfer plug portion 13 flows along the inner surface of the liquid return protrusion 17 and is guided inside the dispensing tube 5, so that the liquid contents flowing down the peripheral wall 14 can be collected into container A without adhering to the periphery of the dispensing tube 5. [Example]

[0032] Next, a second embodiment in which the liquid holding space 16 of the transfer plug portion 13 is modified will be described. In the following, the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and only different components are given different reference numerals, and the differences will be mainly explained.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4, A is a container, Ba is a cap body attached to the container A, C is a hinge, and D is an upper lid attached to the cap body Ba via the hinge C so as to be able to open and close. The transfer plug portion 40 of the cap body Ba is erected from the partition wall 11 via the weakened portion 12. Vertical The liquid holding space 43 is formed by a peripheral wall 41 and a top wall 42 that closes the upper part of the peripheral wall 41, and the top wall 42 forms an inclined surface in the liquid holding space 43 so that the back side of the top wall 42 is higher than the front side.

[0034] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. In the liquid retention space 43 of the transfer plug portion 40 of this embodiment, the top wall 42 is an inclined surface, so the volume of the liquid retention space 43 is increased compared to the first embodiment, making it easier to collect liquid adhering to the hinge C side.

[0035] In order to stir the liquid contents, as in the first embodiment, when container A is shaken up and down with the lid closed, the liquid contents adhere to the inner surface of the liquid holding space 43 of the transfer plug portion 40 attached to the top lid D. However, since the top wall 42 of the liquid holding space 43 in the closed state is an inclined surface, the adhered liquid flows more easily to the front side than in the first embodiment, and the amount of liquid adhering to the top wall 42 can be reduced. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, when the top lid D is opened, the liquid retention space 43 formed by the peripheral wall 41 and the top wall 42 can hold a larger amount of liquid than in the first embodiment, so that when the container A is tilted, a large amount of adhering liquid can be stored in the liquid retention space 43. Other functions and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment. [Example]

[0036] Next, a third embodiment will be described in which the liquid holding space 43 of the transfer plug portion 40 in the second embodiment is modified. In the following, the same components as those in the second embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and only different components are given different reference numerals, and the differences will be mainly described.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 6, A is a container, Bb is a cap body attached to the container A, C is a hinge, and D is an upper lid attached to the cap body Bb via the hinge C so as to be able to open and close. The transfer plug portion 50 of the cap body Bb is erected from the partition wall 11 via the weakened portion 12. Vertical The liquid holding space 53 is formed by a peripheral wall 51 and a top wall 52 that closes the upper part of the peripheral wall 51, and the top wall 52 forms an inclined surface in the liquid holding space 53 so that the back side of the top wall 52 is higher than the front side. Furthermore, the transfer plug portion 50 is provided with a plurality of triangular liquid retention ribs 54 in the front-rear direction from the lower surface of the front side of the top wall 52 toward the inner surface of the rear side of the peripheral wall 51. It is sufficient that at least one liquid retention rib 54 is provided, and the shape and number of the liquid retention rib 54 can be appropriately selected as needed.

[0038] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. In the liquid retention space 53 of the transfer plug portion 50 in this embodiment, a liquid retention rib 54 is provided from the underside of the front side of the top wall 52 toward the inner surface of the back side of the peripheral wall 51. Therefore, when the container A is shaken up and down with the lid closed to stir the contents, as in the second embodiment, the contents of the transfer plug portion 50 attached to the top lid D adhere to the inner surface of the liquid retention space 53. However, the surface area of ​​the liquid retention space 53 with the liquid retention rib 54 provided is larger than in the second embodiment, and the liquid adhering to the liquid retention space 53 does not easily drip due to the surface tension and capillary phenomenon. Other functions and effects are the same as those of the second embodiment. [Industrial Applicability]

[0039] The hinge cap of the present invention has a liquid retention space in the transfer plug section that is attached to the inside of the top lid, which can be opened by removing the transfer plug section from the cap body at the same time.Therefore, even if the container is shaken and the contents adhere to the underside of the transfer plug section, the excess contents are quickly poured off and the remaining liquid is retained in the liquid retention space.As a result, the contents hardly drip from the transfer plug section after the top lid is opened, preventing the inside of the top lid and the outside of the container from getting dirty. Furthermore, since the hinge cap of the present invention has a partition that seals the mouth of a container, it has excellent sealing properties and can be widely used as a hinge cap for containers that contain liquid contents that require airtightness. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] A container B, Ba, Bb cap body C hinge D Top lid 1 Mouth 2 Mating ridges 4. Mounting part 5 Pour tube 6 Locking ridge 7 Lid engagement part 8 Inner cylinder 9 Outer cylinder 10 Engagement protrusion 11 Bulkhead 12 Weakened part 13, 40, 50 Transfer valve 14, 41, 51 Peripheral wall 15, 42, 52 ceiling wall 16, 43, 53 Liquid holding space 17 Liquid return protrusion 18 Lifting section 19 Locking protrusion 20 Reinforcing rib 21 Sharp angle 30 Top Wall 31 Side wall 31a Thin walled part 32 Seal tube 33 Attachment hole 34 Attachment section 35 Engagement recess 36 Handle 37 Finger rest 54 Liquid retention rib

Claims

1. A hinge cap is attached to the mouth of a container and comprises a cap body having a pouring tube and an upper lid connected to the cap body via a hinge, The cap body includes a partition wall that closes the inner periphery of the pouring tube, and a transfer plug portion that is defined by a breakable weakened portion in the partition wall and that engages with the upper lid when the lid is opened to be removed; the transfer plug portion has a liquid retention space formed by a vertical peripheral wall erected from the partition wall via a weakened portion and a top wall closing an upper portion of the peripheral wall; A hinge cap characterized in that the liquid holding space is provided with a liquid returning protrusion protruding downward from the hinge side of the peripheral wall.

2. 2. The hinge cap according to claim 1, wherein the liquid holding space is inclined so that the hinge side of the top wall is higher than the opposite side of the hinge.

3. 3. The hinge cap according to claim 1, wherein the liquid holding space is provided with a liquid holding rib extending in the front-rear direction from the underside of the top wall on the side opposite the hinge to the inner surface of the peripheral wall on the hinge side.

4. The transition plug portion has a lifting portion erected from the top wall opposite the hinge, The hinge cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the upper lid comprises a top wall, a side wall extending from the peripheral edge of the top wall, a sealing tube extending from the underside of the top wall to seal the pouring tube, and an engaging portion formed inside the sealing tube to engage with the lifting portion.

5. The lifting portion has a locking protrusion, 5. The hinge cap according to claim 4, wherein the engaging portion has an engaging hole formed in the top wall, into which the engaging projection fits when the lid is closed.

Images