Hinge cap

Abstract

To provide a hinge cap that can be easily elastically deformed when pressed when discharging a content liquid little by little.SOLUTION: A hinged cap A includes a cap body A1 attached to a container body D and an upper lid A3 attached to the cap body A1 via a hinge part A2, wherein the cap body A1 includes: an attachment part 5 that is attached on a mouth part 1 of the container body D; a cylindrical wall 7 formed on an upper part of the attachment part 5; a pressing part 9 that closes an inside of an upper end of the cylindrical wall 7; and a nozzle part 8 that discharges a content liquid from the cylindrical wall 7 when pressurized by the pressing part 9. The hinge cap A is integrally molded by an elastic member C that elastically deforms the hinge part A2 and the pressing part 9.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a hinge cap, and particularly to a hinge cap capable of discharging a small amount of content liquid at a time.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a container with a cap that is attached to the mouth of a container body filled with a content liquid such as sesame oil, and by pressing the upper surface of the center of the nozzle-equipped cap while the container body is tilted, the content liquid can be discharged little by little. However, there is a problem that the pressing portion of the cap to be pressed during discharge is difficult to elastically deform.

[0003] Therefore, at the mouth of the container, the top wall of the pouring plug with a nozzle whose peripheral wall is fitted is formed by an inward flange attached to the upper end of the peripheral wall, a short cylindrical portion that protrudes forward the nozzle and stands up from the inner peripheral edge of the inward flange, a spiral elastic cylinder with a smaller upper diameter that stands up from the upper end of the short cylindrical portion, and a small capped cylinder whose upper surface of the cylindrical portion standing up from the upper end of the cylinder is closed by a top plate. The above spiral elastic cylinder is a hinge cap in which the cylinder wall is sequentially made thinner along the spiral direction of the spiral elastic cylinder from the cylinder wall portion at either the upper or lower end side to the other end cylinder wall portion, and has been conventionally known (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the hinge cap described in Patent Document 1 above, since the spiral elastic cylinder, which is the pressing portion, is formed of the same resin as the other parts of the cap, there is a problem that the spiral elastic cylinder is difficult to elastically deform when discharging the content liquid.

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and provides a hinge cap that can easily undergo elastic deformation when pressed, when dispensing small amounts of liquid. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a hinge cap comprising a cap body attached to a container body and an upper lid attached to the cap body via a hinge portion, wherein the cap body has a mounting portion attached to the mouth of the container body, a cylindrical wall formed on the upper part of the mounting portion, a pressing portion that closes the inside of the upper end of the cylindrical wall, and a nozzle portion that discharges the contents from the cylindrical wall when pressurized by the pressing portion, and the hinge cap comprises a hinge portion and a pressing portion of Elastically deformable Made of resin Elastic member The remaining portion is made of a standard base resin, and both resins are molded together as one unit. The system employs a configuration characterized by the following features.

[0008] As an embodiment of the hinge cap, the top lid has a top wall, a side wall extending vertically from the periphery of the top wall, and a sealing portion formed on the inner surface of the side wall that makes close contact with the tip opening of the nozzle when the lid is closed. The sealing portion is integrally molded from an elastically deformable elastic member. Furthermore, the elastic member is formed continuously from the pressing portion through the hinge portion to the sealing portion. In addition, the elastic member is integrally molded with the hinge cap by two-color molding. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] By adopting the above configuration, the hinge cap of the present invention makes it easier for the pressing portion to elastically deform when pressed, and maintains the open state of the top lid when opened. Furthermore, the hinge cap of the present invention ensures that when the lid is closed, the nozzle portion is reliably sealed by the sealing portion made of the elastic material of the upper lid, thereby preventing liquid leakage. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1]This figure shows a container fitted with a hinged cap, which is an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a top view with the lid open and (b) is a side cross-sectional view with the lid closed. [Figure 2] This figure shows the state of the hinged cap when it is open, which is an embodiment of the present invention; (a) is a top view and (b) is a side cross-sectional view. [Figure 3] This is a side cross-sectional view showing the closed state of a hinge cap, which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a side cross-sectional view showing the usage state of a container fitted with a hinged cap, which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Next, the hinge cap of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, using an example. In the following explanation, the upward direction in Figure 1(b) will be referred to as "up" and the downward direction as "down". [Examples]

[0012] In Figure 1, A is a hinge cap attached to the container body D, A1 is a cap body attached to the container body D, and A3 is a top lid connected to the cap body A1 via a hinge portion A2. The hinge cap A is formed primarily from a common basic resin B such as polypropylene or polyethylene, which has a certain degree of rigidity and is resistant to deformation, while specific parts are formed from a flexible elastic material C such as an elastomer that is elastically deformable. The container body D has an opening 1 at its top, and a male screw 2 is threaded onto the outer surface of the opening 1 for attaching the cap body A1.

[0013] The hinge cap A can be formed using a two-color molding technique (core-back), in which a first mold (cavity) formed in an open state is engaged with a second mold (core), a basic resin B is injected to form the cap, the second mold (core) is then core-backed into the first mold (cavity), a resin C such as elastomer is injected, and the remaining part is integrally molded. Moreover, the hinge cap A can be integrally formed not only by two-color molding technology but also by insert molding or the like. As long as the basic resin B part and the elastic member C can be integrally formed, the molding method is not limited.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cap body A1 includes an outer peripheral cylindrical wall 5 as a mounting part mounted on the outer periphery of the mouth part 1 of the container body D, a ring-shaped upper wall 6 extending inward from the inner edge of the upper end of the outer peripheral cylindrical wall 5 and having the upper end surface of the mouth part 1 closely attached to the lower surface, a cylindrical wall 7 standing upright and inclined inward from the inner edge of the upper wall 6, and as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 2(a), when viewed from above, a nozzle part 8 extending through and opening a hole 7a at a position 90° to the left or right (right side in the figure) from the hinge part A2 side of the cylindrical wall 7, and a frustoconical pressing part 9 closing the inner upper part of the cylindrical wall 7. The pressing part 9 is entirely formed of the elastic member C.

[0015] On the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral cylindrical wall 5, an internal thread 10 that is screwed with an external thread 2 provided on the mouth part 1 of the container body D is provided, and on the outer periphery of the upper wall 6, a lid engaging part 11 for maintaining the closed state of the upper lid A3 is provided. Due to the inclination of the cylindrical wall 7, the nozzle part 8 extends obliquely upward at an angle θ with respect to the horizontal direction, and the tip opening 8a is formed in a trumpet shape for good liquid drainage.

[0016] Furthermore, the cap body A1 has the same width as the elastic hinge 15 from the lower end of the pressing part 9 entirely formed of the elastic member C toward the hinge part A2, passes through the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall 7, the upper surface of the upper wall 6, and the upper end surface of the outer peripheral cylindrical wall 5, is integrally formed by the elastic member C on the outer surface of the basic resin B layer, and has a connecting outer surface layer part 12 continuous with the elastic hinge 15 of the hinge part A2.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 2(a), the hinge part A2 includes an elastically deformable elastic hinge 15 continuously provided from the connecting outer surface layer part 12 of the cap body A1, and continuous hinges 16 continuously provided at the upper ends of the outer peripheral cylindrical walls 5 of the cap body A1 on both the left and right sides sandwiching the elastic hinge 15. In this embodiment, although all the elastic hinges 15 are formed of the elastic member C, the elastic hinges 15 may have a structure in which the elastic member C and the base resin B are laminated. Further, the hinge portion A2 may be formed only of the elastic member C, and in that case, the continuous hinge 16 may not be provided.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper lid A3 includes a disc-shaped top wall 20 and a side peripheral wall 21 vertically provided from the periphery of the top wall 20.

[0019] The lower end of the side peripheral wall 21 is connected to the hinge portion A2 side with an elastic hinge 15 and a pair of continuous hinges 16 on both sides of the elastic hinge 15. On the side opposite to the hinge portion A2, a grip portion 22 for hanging a finger or the like is provided on the outer peripheral surface, and an engaging protrusion 23 that fits with the lid engaging portion 11 of the cap body A1 when the lid is closed and maintains the closed lid is provided on the inner peripheral surface. Note that the engaging protrusion 23 is preferably provided in a range on the inner peripheral surface of the lower end of the side peripheral wall 21, which is opposite to the seal portion 27 from the end of the grip portion 22, and the engaging protrusion 23 may be provided in a plurality. As shown in FIG. 1(b), a raised portion 24 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the side peripheral wall 21 so as to face the tip opening 8a of the nozzle portion 8 when the lid is closed.

[0020] Furthermore, the upper lid A3 is continuous from the elastic hinge 15 on the hinge portion A2 side, and includes a connecting inner surface layer portion 25 that extends with the same width as the elastic hinge 15 from the inner peripheral surface of the side peripheral wall 21 on the hinge portion A2 side to the vicinity of the center of the lower surface of the top wall 20, and a plug inner surface layer portion 26 that extends at a right angle from the connecting inner surface layer portion 25 toward the raised portion 24 of the side peripheral wall 21 and covers the raised portion 24. The connecting inner surface layer portion 25 and the plug inner surface layer portion 26 are integrally formed by the elastic member C on the inner surface of the base resin B layer. A spherical seal portion 27 that covers the surface of the raised portion 24 and is in close contact with the tip opening 8a of the nozzle portion 8 when the lid is closed is formed on the plug inner surface layer portion 26. As described above, the elastic member C is continuously formed from the pressing portion 9 through the elastic hinge 15 of the hinge portion A2 to the seal portion 27.

[0021] Next, the usage and effects of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the hinged cap A consists of a cap body A1 and an upper lid A3, which are integrally molded in an open state using a basic resin B and an elastic member C via a hinge portion A2. The cap is then closed by bending the upper lid A3 onto the cap body A1 using the hinge portion A2 as a pivot point.

[0022] When the lid is closed, as shown in Figure 3, the top lid A3 covers the area above the outer cylindrical wall 5 of the cap body A1, and the elastic hinge 15 bends while elastically deforming. The engaging projection 23 provided on the inner circumference of the lower end opposite to the hinge portion A2 of the side circumferential wall 21 of the top lid A3 engages with the lid engaging portion 11 on the outer circumference of the upper wall 6 of the cap body A1, maintaining the closed state. In this embodiment, the sealing portion 27 on the inner surface of the side wall 21 of the top lid A3 elastically deforms and seals in close contact with the tip opening 8a of the nozzle portion 8 of the cap body A1. Therefore, even if the container body D is tipped over when the top lid A3 is closed, the contents will not leak out of the tip opening 8a of the nozzle portion 8 and contaminate the outside.

[0023] In the closed state, the hinged cap A is attached to the opening 1 of the container body D, which is filled with the liquid contents, by screwing the outer cylindrical wall 5 of the cap body A1 onto it. In this embodiment, the male thread 2 threaded into the mouth 1 of the container body D is screwed into the female thread 10 threaded into the outer cylindrical wall 5 of the cap body A1. However, a projection may be provided on the outer circumference of the mouth 1, and an engaging portion that fits onto the projection may be provided on the inner circumference of the outer cylindrical wall 5, and the hinge cap A may be attached to the container body D by pressing it into place.

[0024] When using a container fitted with the hinge cap A of this embodiment, lifting the top lid A3 by placing your fingers on the knob 22 releases the engagement between the engaging projection 23 of the top lid A3 and the lid engaging portion 11 of the cap body A1, causing the top lid A3 to rotate around the hinge portion A2 as a pivot point and open. After opening, the top lid A3 attempts to maintain its open state due to the restoring force of the bent elastic hinge 15, as shown in Figure 2. When the lid is opened, the tight seal between the sealing portion 27 on the inner surface of the side wall 21 of the top lid A3 and the tip opening 8a of the nozzle portion 8 of the cap body A1 is released, and the nozzle portion 8 opens.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, the container body D with the hinge cap A attached is tilted so that the nozzle portion 8 of the cap body A1 is pointed downwards, allowing the liquid contents to move from the container body D into the cap body A1. As a result, even if the liquid contents that have moved into the cap body A1 flow into the nozzle part 8 through the opening 7a of the cylindrical wall 7, they will not flow out from the tip opening 8a of the nozzle part 8.

[0026] Next, when the pressing portion 9 of the cap body A1 is pressed from the outside inward, the inside of the container is pressurized, and the liquid contents are pushed out from inside the nozzle portion 8 and discharged from the tip opening 8a. When the pressure on the pressing part 9 is released, the pressurization inside the container is stopped, and the discharge of the liquid contents is also stopped. By repeatedly pressing and releasing the pressing part 9, the liquid contents can be dispensed drop by drop. When the pressure from the pressing part 9 is released, the return of the pressing part 9 creates negative pressure inside the container, drawing the contents inward from the opening 7a in the cylindrical wall 7 and the nozzle part 8. As a result, any contents adhering to the vicinity of the tip opening 8a are also drawn into the nozzle part 8. Furthermore, when the pressing part 9 returns to its original position and the negative pressure is released, the contents flow back into and seal the opening 7a in the cylindrical wall 7 and the nozzle part 8, preventing the contents from dripping out.

[0027] In this embodiment, the hinge cap A has a pressing portion 9 made of an elastically deformable elastic member C. Compared to conventional designs where the pressing portion is made of the same resin in a thin layer and deformed by pressing, this hinge cap A is easier to deform by pressing, the pressing force can be reduced, the pressing force can be stabilized, and the restoring force is also stable, so it does not fail to return to its original shape after being pressed.

[0028] In this embodiment, the nozzle portion 8 is positioned to extend diagonally upward at an angle θ with respect to the horizontal direction, in accordance with the inclination of the cylindrical wall 7. However, the position of the raised portion 24 and the sealing portion 27 within the upper lid A3 is set to match the position of the tip opening 8a of the nozzle portion 8. When the lid is closed, they elastically deform and seal tightly against the tip opening 8a, thereby preventing liquid leakage. Therefore, the angle θ of the nozzle portion 8 can be set as appropriate.

[0029] In this embodiment, the hinge cap A has an elastic member C made of an elastically deformable resin in a specific part, and the remaining part is made of a basic resin B, and the two resins can be integrally molded. Therefore, there is no need to mold them separately and then assemble them, and they do not come apart after assembly, resulting in good productivity, and the feel and stability when pressing the pressing part 9 of the integrally molded elastic member C are also good. [Industrial applicability]

[0030] The hinge cap of the present invention is formed from an elastic material for the hinge portion and the pressing portion, allowing for easy elastic deformation of the pressing portion when pressed, maintaining the open state of the top lid when opened, and ensuring that the nozzle portion is securely sealed when closed to prevent leakage. Therefore, it is suitable as a cap for containers that require a hygienic usage environment, such as containers for liquid foods like chili oil that dispense small amounts of liquid at a time, or containers for liquid pharmaceuticals such as mouthwash. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0031] A Hinge Cap A1 Cap Body A2 Hinge A3 top lid B Basic resin C Elastic member D Container body θ angle 1 Mouth 2 male screws 5. Outer cylindrical wall (mounting part) 6 Upper wall 7. Cylindrical wall 7a Open hole 8. Nozzle section 8a Tip opening 9 Pressing part 10 Female thread 11 Lid engagement part 12 Connected outer layer 15 Elastic hinge 16-unit hinge 20 Top Wall 21 Side walls 22. Thumb part 23 Engagement protrusion 24 Ridge 25 Connecting inner layer section 26 Inner layer of the stopper 27 Seal part

Claims

1. A hinged cap comprising a cap body that is attached to the container body and an upper lid that is attached to the cap body via a hinge, The cap body has a mounting portion that is attached to the mouth of the container body, a cylindrical wall formed above the mounting portion, a pressing portion that closes the inside of the upper end of the cylindrical wall, and a nozzle portion that discharges the contents from the cylindrical wall when pressurized by the pressing portion. The hinge cap is characterized by having the hinge portion and the pressing portion made of elastic members made of elastically deformable resin, and the remaining portion made of ordinary basic resin, with both resins integrally molded.

2. The top cover has a top wall, side walls extending vertically from the periphery of the top wall, and a sealing portion formed on the inner surface of the side walls that makes close contact with the tip opening of the nozzle when the cover is closed. The hinge cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing portion is integrally molded from an elastically deformable elastic member.

3. The hinge cap according to claim 2, characterized in that the elastic member is formed continuously from the pressing portion through the hinge portion to the sealing portion.

4. The hinge cap according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the elastic member is integrally molded with the hinge cap by two-color molding.

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